This is a common warning for numerous people that co-parenting a dog after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such setups prevent individuals from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for all parties. Apparently, as a development fit for a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the inner life of dogs – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, simply recall another performance. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water remains debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than what it is. This is a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions are modest. The plot unfolds as uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will surely realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including familiar faces – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. Visually is reminiscent of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think fake snow surrounding lush pines as a summer location doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements come together into a pleasant experience rests upon the actors' work and one's taste for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – those people who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the canine star, and though it results in some awkward editing between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, in the end, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone vacillates between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and silly gags, not quite landing a single genre. This is not Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny required by the bizarre setting. He brings a charming humility that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. The character comes across as a touch too detached, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, the canine performer succeeds in flopping and whining – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a scene-stealer.)
Merv tries to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, since the title character is easily the best part of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for the split might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – but it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
