It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that co-parenting a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such situations prevent individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to experience sadness.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – many owners speak of their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, consider another performance. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable seems debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be more profound than a light film. This is a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions remains surface-level. The plot is destined to be uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – played by familiar faces – serve as the usual assortment of types. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – as seen in flurries clinging to lush pines as a summer location substitutes for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
How these predictable parts coalesce into a pleasant experience hinges on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. He brings a likable self-deprecation that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. The character can feel a touch too detached, particularly when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Gus the Dog manages flopping and whining – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a very good boy.)
Merv tries to provide depth to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, given that the dog is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for their separation could have been more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film with this canine conflict is not terrible – though it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
