This is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a dog following a split is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such arrangements hinder former couples from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. Apparently, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the canine in question to become depressed.
Without minimizing the mental health of our pets – pet parents observe their profound sensitivity. If you need standout portrayal in dog sorrow, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom around this situation holds water seems rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than a light film. It functions as a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions are modest. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – think flurries clinging to green trees as a summer location stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients coalesce into an entertaining watch hinges on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who seek out for dog videos. The film delivers a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie delivers on walking sequences, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
The same praise cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The tone vacillates between serious study, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, failing to master a consistent feel. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe demanded of the bizarre setting. His performance contains a charming humility that offers much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. The character can feel a touch too detached, notably when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in flopping and whining – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that the title character is by far the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their original breakup might seem more nuanced with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
