It is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a canine companion after a breakup is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such setups impede former couples from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Apparently, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of dogs – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation works effectively remains rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than a light film. We have here a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the depth remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by fake snow surrounding lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience depends on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – those people who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is Merv himself, and while this leads to some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success does not extend for the human side of the story. The film's approach shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and silly gags, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe demanded of the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, the canine performer succeeds in looking despondent – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since the title character is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – even if it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform starting December 10.