It is a widely held belief for numerous people that co-parenting a dog post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements prevent former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – many owners attest to their profound sensitivity. If you need standout portrayal in dog sorrow, simply recall recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by Gus the Dog, would struggle coping with split households. Whether this premise a full holiday film around this situation works effectively seems debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and under the guidance of director Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than its premise. We have here a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – played by familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think fake snow clinging to green trees as a summer location doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients merge into an entertaining watch depends on the actors' work and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who seek out for pet content. Audiences receive a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and though it results in some clunky cuts between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, not quite landing any one mode. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe demanded of the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal comes across as a bit too dry, notably when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since Merv is easily the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their separation would feel more grounded and mature with less exposition and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Making a film on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
