It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that jointly caring for a canine companion after a breakup is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Apparently, as a development worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause our furry friends to become depressed.
Without minimizing the inner life of animals – countless people attest to their remarkable empathy. For a masterclass in dog sorrow, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult coping with divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup holds water remains rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – serve as the usual assortment of types. Visually is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – think fake snow surrounding lush pines as North Carolina doubles as the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience hinges on the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is Merv himself, and though it results in some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, broad humor, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, failing to master a consistent feel. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward demanded of the unusual premise. He brings a endearing lack of ego that supplies much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. The character seems a little too aloof, particularly when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, the canine performer succeeds in looking despondent – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
Merv tries to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for the split would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling every expected note. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
