This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a canine companion following a split is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such setups hinder former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance for all parties. As it turns out, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – pet parents observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need masterclass in dog sorrow, consider another performance. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of the writing duo and helmed by director Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than its premise. It functions as a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth are modest. Its storyline is destined to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. Visually has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by flurries surrounding verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
If these predictable parts merge into an entertaining watch depends on the actors' work and one's taste for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between animal action and human reaction, the movie delivers on walking sequences, pet moping, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach vacillates between relationship drama, broad humor, formulaic romance, and silly gags, failing to master a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward required by the unusual premise. He brings a charming humility that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog manages flopping and whining – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a very good boy.)
The film attempts to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is undoubtedly the best part of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split might seem more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting every expected note. Crafting a story with this canine conflict is not terrible – though it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
