This is a widely held belief in certain circles that co-parenting a canine companion following a split is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such situations prevent former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of our pets – countless people speak of their deep emotional capacity. To witness a masterclass in dog sorrow, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable remains a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be deeper than what it is. We have here a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the depth are modest. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will presumably realize the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – serve as the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think obvious snow effects piled on verdant foliage as a summer location doubles as the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these familiar elements coalesce into an entertaining watch rests upon the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who browse regularly for pet content. It provides a series of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Human Element
This level of success cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The tone wavers between serious study, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and silly gags, failing to master a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Merv himself is convincing at looking despondent – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, since the title character is undoubtedly the best part of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split would feel more grounded and mature with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting every expected note. Making a film with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – but I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on Prime Video on December 10th.
