This year we've seen several incredible canine performances. Topping the list is Indy in Good Boy. I thought the hype surrounding that film was a bit overblown, and some critics went overboard in saying that Indy had put some of the best human actors to shame. But after seeing the film, I was almost ready to fund his awards season campaign, because Indy really was that good and elevated an otherwise simple plot with his acting chops.
Then there was Carbon in Nobody 2, who not only had an amazing screen presence but also participated in some action sequences alongside acting legends like Bob Odenkirk, Christopher Lloyd, and John Ortiz. The Conjuring: Last Rites featured a golden retriever, and since a dog had died in the first film, I thought they would do the same in the final installment of the saga. But no, the dog survived and did an incredible job alerting the Smurls and the Warrens to a supernatural presence. I don't think I can include Dog Man because, well, he's half-dog. And now, to top it all off, we have Gus in the role of Merv.
Director: Jessica Swale
Writers: Dane Clark, Linsey Stewart
Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox, Ellyn Jameson
Merv, directed by Jessica Swale and written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart, tells the story of Russ and Anna, the parents of the titular dog. Russ is an elementary school teacher, and Anna is an ophthalmologist. About six months before the start of the film, things seemed to be going well between Russ and Anna. So well, in fact, that their friends and family had met. And, as if it weren't obvious, they had adopted Merv, thus becoming parents (yes, dog parents are parents too).
Then, something happened, and Russ and Anna broke up. However, since they lived in the same city, they decided to share custody of Merv, which meant that sometimes Russ took care of the dog, and other times Anna did. However, just before Christmas, Merv's favorite time of year, the poor little dog gets seriously ill. This causes panic in Anna and Russ, who rush him to the vet. It is then that they discover that Merv is not suffering from any physical ailment; He's actually depressed. Why? Because all this back and forth between Russ and Anna, and seeing them argue every time they're together, is taking a toll on his soul. Which means Russ and Anna can either put aside their differences and get back together to improve Merv's mood, or watch their son wither away.
Look, Merv is a Christmas movie. There's a dog. A large portion of the film takes place at a dog resort in Florida. So I don't think anyone is expecting to see Citizen Kane or anything like that. That being said, the shift in tone that occurs during the third act, which leads the characters to have a deep conversation about why they broke up, surprised me quite a bit. I mean, I didn't think the screenwriters were capable of tackling that subject and talking about something that, surprisingly, is still considered taboo. Maybe I should have seen it coming, because Merv is essentially a child of divorced parents who watches his parents become increasingly bitter as they grow apart. However, building on that and talking about an aspect of patriarchy that has given rise to an insidious industry that preys on women's insecurities is, to be honest, quite bold. The only problem I have is that the screenwriters don't delve deep enough into the topic, probably for fear of alienating the audience. Instead, they focus on the co-parenting aspects to get dog owners everywhere to reflect on who they are as people before adopting a canine. However, the dialogue and narrative are quite poor, so I don't know how much of that message will resonate.
Visually, the highlight of Merv is a musical sequence with dancing starring Charlie Cox and Zooey Deschanel. That is, Charlie gives it his all on the dance floor, and the lighting and production design, surprisingly, contribute to its charm. Everything else in the film is horribly bad. There are dialogue scenes so choppy that it made me wonder how many days Cox and Deschanel were actually together on set.
To be precise, there's a moment where Anna wants to leave the aforementioned dog hotel, and Russ prevents her. And, of course, Swale uses the shot-reverse shot method, but the editing is so clumsy that it looks like Cox and Deschanel filmed the scene separately and then hastily stitched it together in post-production. Even if that weren't the case, what's the point of filming and editing a scene that way? Cox and Deschanel have been in the industry for a while. I'm sure they can film long dialogue scenes without needing to hide their lack of talent with cuts. I understand using the shot-reverse shot method for Gus the dog, because he can't really act and has to be filmed separately to get the right reactions. But the humans? Come on! Also, what's going on with the color and lighting? There are scenes that look like they were filmed outdoors and then retouched to such an extent that it looks like the actors performed entirely on green screen sets. It's truly baffling.
Returning to Gus's performance, yes, it's truly incredible. His expressions and body language made me forget that he was being directed by a dog trainer. I was convinced that Gus was capable of following Swale's directions and integrating them into his performance. Who knows? Maybe that's what he was doing, and I'm just being ignorant for being a human. So, to answer the question of how well Gus did, I think he's second on my list of favorite canine performances, right after Indy. I'm torn between whether Gus is the best actor in the film or Charlie Cox.
I'm going to have to give that spot to Charlie because he's truly fantastic. Merv is the kind of film where most of the actors tend to perform without much conviction, but Charlie gives it his all. In fact, there are moments where he overacts, but that actually ends up making the experience even more enjoyable. As I already mentioned, the dance sequence is truly incredible. Deschanel isn't very good. She doesn't contribute anything to the film, which is a shame. The rest of the supporting cast is just okay, nothing special. That being said, I recommend watching the film for Charlie and Gus, as well as for its reflection on fatherhood, femininity, and the importance of love during the Christmas season and in life in general.
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