It is a widely held belief for numerous people that co-parenting a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. Most will argue such arrangements impede individuals from finding closure, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and are a nuisance across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the canine in question to feel down.
While respecting the inner life of animals – many owners speak of their profound sensitivity. To witness a prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable is debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than its premise. This is a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative is destined to be uncomplicated: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – including familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by fake snow clinging to lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
How these predictable parts coalesce into something enjoyable hinges on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for pet content. It provides a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the dog, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing walking sequences, dog depression, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, failing to master any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. The character can feel a little too aloof, especially when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Merv himself manages looking despondent – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is easily the best part of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video this December.
