It is a widely held belief for numerous people that sharing custody a dog after a breakup is a terrible idea. Most will argue such setups prevent former couples from moving forward, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause our furry friends to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of our pets – countless people observe their profound sensitivity. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, consider a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than a light film. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions is limited. The plot is destined to be straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – including a group of comedic actors – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – exemplified by obvious snow effects clinging to lush pines as a warm climate doubles as a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these standard ingredients come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and though it results in some stilted moments between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie does offer dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success does not extend for the interpersonal drama. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, predictable love story, and silly gags, not quite landing a consistent feel. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a touch too detached, particularly when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, the canine performer manages acting depressed – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to provide depth to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is by far the best part of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The catalyst for the split would feel more grounded and mature with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video this December.
