This is a widely held belief in certain circles that co-parenting a dog after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such setups hinder former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and are a nuisance across the board. Apparently, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the canine in question to feel down.
While respecting the inner life of animals – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a spirited little dog brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time coping with split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom around this situation holds water seems rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline is destined to be straightforward: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by fake snow surrounding green trees as a warm climate doubles as the Northeast.
Where the Film Shines
If these standard ingredients coalesce into a pleasant experience rests upon the execution and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on canine party antics, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. Its style wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. This is not Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a charming humility that supplies much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. The character seems a bit too dry, notably when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog manages looking despondent – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to provide depth to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, considering the dog is easily the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The cause for their separation could have been more nuanced with more screen time and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – though it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
