This is a common warning in certain circles that co-parenting a dog following a split is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements hinder former couples from finding closure, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying for all parties. As it turns out, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to feel down.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – many owners attest to their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult coping with life in two homes. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup holds water is rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than its premise. It functions as a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the depth is limited. The plot unfolds as straightforward: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – featuring a group of comedic actors – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by flurries piled on lush pines as a warm climate doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements merge into an entertaining watch rests upon the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who seek out for pet content. The film delivers a series of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and though it results in some awkward editing between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, pet moping, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness is not earned for the romantic plot. The tone shifts uneasily between relationship drama, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, not quite landing any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that provides much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to add substance to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, given that Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their separation could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, meeting every expected note. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
