This is a common warning among many that co-parenting a dog after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such setups prevent former couples from healing, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating across the board. Apparently, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of our pets – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. For a prime example in pet despair, simply recall another performance. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adapting to split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on this conflict is sustainable seems rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. This is a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth remains surface-level. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. The film's look is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – as seen in fake snow piled on lush pines as a warm climate doubles as the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
If these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable depends on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who scroll endlessly for pet content. It provides a series of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the dog, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie does offer dog beach fun, dog depression, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Human Element
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between emotional depth, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe demanded of the bizarre setting. He brings a likable self-deprecation that provides much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a very good boy.)
Merv tries to add substance to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, given that the title character is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their separation might seem more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – though I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
