It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a dog following a split is ill-advised. Most will argue such situations prevent former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and become annoying across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to feel down.
Not to downplay the inner life of our pets – countless people speak of their profound sensitivity. To witness a masterclass in dog sorrow, consider another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog brought to life by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than its premise. This is a holiday release from a corporate studio – the complexity is limited. Its storyline proves to be uncomplicated: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. Visually is reminiscent of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – as seen in flurries surrounding verdant foliage as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
If these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for dog videos. It provides a series of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some clunky cuts between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer dog beach fun, pet moping, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success is not earned for the interpersonal drama. Its style vacillates between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, not quite landing any one mode. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a charming humility that supplies much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character comes across as a touch too detached, especially when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, the canine performer is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split would feel more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
