It is a widely held belief in certain circles that jointly caring for a dog post-separation is ill-advised. Most will argue such setups hinder former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and become annoying for everyone involved. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to become depressed.
While respecting the mental health of our pets – pet parents observe their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable is debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and helmed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than a light film. It functions as a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity is limited. The narrative proves to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – played by a group of comedic actors – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – as seen in obvious snow effects clinging to green trees as a summer location stands in for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these predictable parts come together into a pleasant experience depends on the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a series of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and even if it causes some stilted moments between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach shifts uneasily between relationship drama, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in looking despondent – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a very good boy.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, since the title character is easily the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their separation might seem more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Crafting a story with this canine conflict has potential – but I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
