It is a widely held belief in certain circles that co-parenting a canine companion after a breakup is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such situations prevent individuals from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for all parties. Seemingly, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Not to downplay the mental health of our pets – many owners speak of their profound sensitivity. To witness a standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup holds water seems debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than its premise. It functions as a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity are modest. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by fake snow piled on verdant foliage as a summer location stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients merge into an entertaining watch rests upon the execution and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – those people who seek out for pet content. It provides a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and even if it causes some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie does offer walking sequences, pet moping, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny required by the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal seems a little too aloof, particularly when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, the canine performer manages acting depressed – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to add substance to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, since Merv is by far the best part of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation would feel more adult and realistic with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
