It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that co-parenting a pet after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such setups hinder ex-partners from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and become annoying for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to feel down.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of animals – many owners observe their remarkable empathy. For a masterclass in dog sorrow, consider another performance. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to life in two homes. If this concept a feature-length romcom around this situation works effectively remains debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and under the guidance of director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than what it is. We have here a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the ambitions is limited. The plot unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think fake snow piled on green trees as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
Where the Film Shines
How these predictable parts coalesce into a pleasant experience depends on the execution and an acceptance of easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a series of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the canine star, 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, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, predictable love story, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the absurd and awkward inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal can feel a bit too dry, particularly when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for the split could have been more nuanced with more screen time and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting every expected note. Creating a movie with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video starting December 10.
