This is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a dog following a split is a terrible idea. Most will argue such setups hinder ex-partners from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and prove frustrating across the board. Apparently, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to experience sadness.
While respecting the emotional well-being of dogs – pet parents attest to their remarkable empathy. For a standout portrayal in pet despair, simply recall a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adjusting to split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable remains debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. It functions as a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the complexity remains surface-level. Its storyline unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing 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 presumably stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think obvious snow effects piled on lush pines as a summer location doubles as the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
If these familiar elements coalesce into something enjoyable rests upon the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a series of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness does not extend for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward demanded of the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal seems a touch too detached, notably 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 is still an excellent dog.)
The story strives to provide depth to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, considering the title character is easily the best part of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story with this canine conflict has potential – though it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video this December.
