It is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a canine companion post-separation is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements hinder former couples from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and become annoying across the board. Apparently, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Without minimizing the mental health of animals – pet parents speak of their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in pet despair, simply recall recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by Gus the Dog, would struggle coping with split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water is rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, written by the writing duo and helmed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. This is a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the depth are modest. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – played by a group of comedic actors – serve as the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think fake snow clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable hinges on the actors' work and an acceptance of easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is Merv himself, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
The same praise is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach shifts uneasily between emotional depth, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a single genre. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. The character seems a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Merv himself is convincing at looking despondent – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, since the dog is easily the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
