It is a common warning in certain circles that sharing custody a dog after a breakup is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such setups prevent former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.
While respecting the emotional well-being of dogs – countless people speak of their deep emotional capacity. For a masterclass in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle coping with divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup works effectively is rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. It functions as a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. The narrative unfolds as uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – including a group of comedic actors – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – as seen in fake snow surrounding green trees as North Carolina substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements merge into something enjoyable hinges on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – the kind who browse regularly for dog videos. The film delivers a wealth of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the canine star, and even if it causes some stilted moments between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, finally, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success is not earned for the interpersonal drama. Its style wavers between emotional depth, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a single genre. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward required by the bizarre setting. He brings a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna seems a touch too detached, particularly when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still an excellent dog.)
The story strives to give weight to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, since the title character is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for the split might seem more adult and realistic with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting has potential – though I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform this December.
