It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a dog following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such arrangements prevent ex-partners from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and become annoying for all parties. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the canine in question to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the inner life of animals – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adjusting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup holds water seems rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than what it is. It functions as a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic has the quality of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think obvious snow effects piled on verdant foliage as a warm climate doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these predictable parts merge into something enjoyable rests upon the strength of the performances and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – those people who browse regularly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a plethora of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the canine star, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
Such effectiveness is not earned for the romantic plot. The tone wavers between emotional depth, zany antics, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, failing to master any one mode. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, the canine performer succeeds in looking despondent – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a scene-stealer.)
Merv tries to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that Merv is easily the best part of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The cause for the split might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video starting December 10.
