It is a common warning in certain circles that jointly caring for a pet after a breakup is a terrible idea. Most will argue such setups prevent individuals from finding closure, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance across the board. Apparently, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of dogs – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. For a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult adjusting to split households. If this concept a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable remains rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and helmed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than what it is. This is a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity is limited. The narrative is destined to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by obvious snow effects piled on green trees as a warm climate substitutes for the Northeast.
Where the Film Shines
How these familiar elements come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the actors' work and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a wealth of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and though it results in some stilted moments between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on walking sequences, pet moping, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Human Element
The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. Its style shifts uneasily between relationship drama, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, particularly when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog succeeds in acting depressed – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains an excellent dog.)
The story strives to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since the title character is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their separation would feel more adult and realistic with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video starting December 10.
