This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a canine companion post-separation is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such setups impede ex-partners from healing, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for all parties. Apparently, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the mental health of our pets – many owners attest to their remarkable empathy. To witness a prime example in pet despair, consider another performance. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to divided living arrangements. If this concept a feature-length romcom on this conflict is sustainable seems a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by the writing duo and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than its premise. This is a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth are modest. Its storyline proves to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – as seen in fake snow piled on green trees as a summer location doubles as the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
How these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience rests upon the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who browse regularly for dog videos. It provides a series of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is Merv himself, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between relationship drama, zany antics, predictable love story, and silly gags, never fully committing to a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. The character comes across as a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in looking despondent – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, considering the dog is by far the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their original breakup could have been more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, meeting every expected note. Making a film on this shared-custody premise has potential – even if it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
