We’ve had quite a few amazing dog performances this year. The one sitting on the top of the list is Indy in Good Boy. I thought the hype about that film was a bit much, and some critics were really reaching when they were saying that Indy had given some of the best human actors a run for their money. But after watching the movie, I was actually ready to bankroll his awards season campaign, because Indy truly was that good, and elevated an otherwise barebones plot with his acting skills. Then there was Carbon in Nobody 2, who not only had amazing screen presence but also partook in some action sequences alongside acting legends Bob Odenkirk, Christopher Lloyd, and John Ortiz. The Conjuring: Last Rites featured a golden retriever, and given how a dog had died in the first film, I thought that they were going to do the same in the last entry in the series. But no, the dog survived and did an amazing job of alerting the Smurls and the Warrens to a supernatural presence. I don’t think I can count Dog Man because, well, he’s part dog. And now, to cap things off, we have Gus in and as Merv. How has he fared in comparison to his canine peers? Let’s find out.
Jessica Swale’s Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart, tells the story of Russ and Anna, the co-parents of the titular dog. Russ is an elementary school teacher, and Anna is an eye specialist. About six months prior to the start of the film, things were seemingly going well between Russ and Anna. It was so good that their friends and family had gotten acquainted with each other. And, if it’s not obvious already, they had adopted Merv, thereby essentially becoming parents (yes, dog parents are parents too). Then, something happened, and Russ and Anna broke up. Since they lived in the same city, though, they decided to co-parent Merv, which meant that sometimes Russ would take care of the dog, and other times Anna would take on the responsibility of looking after him. However, right before Christmas, Merv’s most favorite season of all time, the poor baby gets incredibly sick. This causes Anna and Russ to panic, and they rush him to the vet. That’s when they learn that Merv isn’t suffering from any kind of physical ailment; he’s actually depressed. Why? Because this whole act of oscillating between Russ and Anna, and then watching them bicker whenever they are together, is taking a toll on his soul. Which means Russ and Anna can either put their differences aside and be a couple again in order to improve Merv’s morale, or watch their child wither away.
Look, Merv is a Christmas movie. There’s a dog in it. A major chunk of the film takes place at a dog resort in Florida. So, I don’t think anybody is going into it expecting Citizen Kane or something. That said, the tonal shift that happens during the third act, which prompts the characters to have an in-depth conversation about why they broke up, really took me by surprise. I mean, I didn’t think that the writers had it in them to go there and comment on a topic that’s still, oddly enough, considered taboo. Maybe I should have seen it coming, because Merv is essentially a child of divorce who’s watching his parents become more and more bitter as they drift apart. However, to build on that and comment on an aspect of patriarchy that has birthed an insidious industry that preys on the insecurities of women is, to be very honest, quite bold. The only issue I have with that is that the writers don’t stick with it long enough, probably because they are afraid that it’ll alienate audiences. Instead, they focus on the co-parenting aspects of the narrative so that they can compel dog parents all over the globe to introspect about who they are as people before adopting a canine. The dialogue-writing and storytelling are pretty bad, though, so I don’t know how much of that messaging will stick.
Visually, the highlight of Merv is a song-and-dance sequence featuring Charlie Cox and Zooey Deschanel. I mean, Charlie absolutely tears up that floor, and the cheap lighting and production design, oddly enough, add to his charm. Everything else in the movie looks diabolically horrendous. There are dialogue scenes that are so choppy that it made me question the number of days Cox and Deschanel were actually on set together. To be specific, there’s a moment where Anna wants to leave the aforementioned dog resort, and Russ stops her from doing so. And, of course, Swale goes for the shot-reverse-shot method, but the editing is so awkward that it seems like Cox and Deschanel did the scene separately and then it was put together hastily in post. Even if that’s not the case, what’s the point of framing and editing a scene like that? Cox and Deschanel have been in the business for a while now. I am sure they can do long dialogue scenes without needing to hide their lack of talent behind cuts. I understand using the shot-reverse-shot method for Gus, the dog, because he can’t actually act and you have to shoot him separately so that you can have all the correct reactions. But the humans? Come on! Also, what’s going on with the coloring and the lighting? There are scenes that have seemingly been shot outdoors and then been polished to such an extent that it looks like the actors have performed entirely in green screen rooms. It’s truly mind-boggling.
Coming back to Gus’ acting, yeah, he’s truly amazing. His expressions and body language made me forget that he was being directed by a dog instructor. I was convinced that Gus was actually capable of taking Swale’s notes and integrating them into his performance. Who knows? Maybe that’s what he was doing, and I am here being ignorant about it because I am a human being. So, to answer the question about how well Gus has fared, I think he’s second on my list of favorite dog performances, right after Indy. I am conflicted about whether Gus is the best actor in the film or Charlie Cox. I am going to have to give that spot to Charlie because he’s truly fantastic. Merv is the type of film where most actors usually take the sleepwalking approach, but Charlie really commits. I mean, there are moments where he over-delivers, but that ends up making the viewing experience all the more enjoyable. As mentioned before, that dance sequence is truly amazing. Deschanel is not good. She doesn’t really bring anything to the table, which is sad to see. The rest of the supporting cast are painfully okay. That said, I’ll recommend giving the movie a try for Charlie and Gus, as well as its commentary on parenting, femininity, and the importance of love during the festive season and life in general.
