It is a widely held belief among many that co-parenting a canine companion following a split is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such arrangements hinder ex-partners from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance across the board. As it turns out, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.
Not to downplay the mental health of our pets – pet parents speak of their remarkable empathy. To witness a prime example in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult coping with divided living arrangements. If this concept a feature-length romcom on this conflict works effectively seems debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline unfolds as straightforward: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by obvious snow effects surrounding green trees as a summer location stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these familiar elements merge into an entertaining watch rests upon the actors' work and an acceptance of easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – those people who seek out for dog videos. It provides a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie does offer dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success does not extend for the interpersonal drama. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, not quite landing any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe demanded of the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, especially when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog manages acting depressed – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to provide depth to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the title character is easily the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their separation would feel more grounded and mature with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – though I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
