It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that jointly caring for a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such situations impede individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for all parties. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.
Not to downplay the inner life of dogs – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need masterclass in dog sorrow, simply recall recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water seems a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than what it is. It functions as a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the depth are modest. The plot unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will surely realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – as seen in flurries surrounding green trees as North Carolina doubles as a cold December city.
Where the Film Shines
How these standard ingredients coalesce into an entertaining watch hinges on the actors' work and an acceptance of comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is Merv himself, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. This is not Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her Anna comes across as a little too aloof, especially when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, the canine performer is convincing at acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a very good boy.)
Merv tries to provide depth to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, since Merv is undoubtedly the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their original breakup would feel more adult and realistic with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – even if it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Prime Video starting December 10.
