Merv Review – A Four-Legged Actor Dominates the Spotlight in Amazon’s By-the-Book Christmas Romcom

It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that jointly caring for a dog following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such arrangements hinder individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to become depressed.

Without minimizing the inner life of animals – countless people speak of their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. If this concept a feature-length romcom around this situation holds water remains rather doubtful.

Predictable Foundations

To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and helmed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than its premise. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions is limited. Its storyline unfolds as uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including familiar faces – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – think flurries surrounding green trees as North Carolina stands in for a cold December city.

Where the Film Shines

If these predictable parts coalesce into something enjoyable rests upon the strength of the performances and one's taste for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the canine star, and though it results in some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, finally, doggie joy.

The Two-Legged Cast

The same praise cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, zany antics, predictable love story, and silly gags, failing to master a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a charming humility that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal can feel a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a very good boy.)

The story strives to provide depth to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that the dog is easily the best part of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The cause for their separation would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though it's not exactly a brilliant concept.

• Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform starting December 10.