It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a canine companion after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede individuals from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and become annoying for everyone involved. Apparently, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – many owners attest to their deep emotional capacity. To witness a masterclass in pet despair, simply recall a past film. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog portrayed by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup holds water is a questionable prospect.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, written by its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. We have here a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions is limited. The narrative is destined to be uncomplicated: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually has the quality of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – exemplified by fake snow piled on lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
How these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is Merv himself, and though it results in some awkward editing between animal action and people's faces, the movie does offer dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise cannot be applied for the human side of the story. Its style shifts uneasily between relationship drama, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, failing to master any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny demanded of the dog resort scenario. He brings a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, since the dog is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for the split might seem more nuanced with more screen time and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, meeting all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
