It is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a canine companion following a split is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such arrangements impede ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the mental health of animals – pet parents speak of their profound sensitivity. To witness a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, consider recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable is rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than what it is. It functions as a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the depth are modest. The plot proves to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will surely realize the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by fake snow clinging to green trees as a summer location doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable depends on the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a series of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the canine star, and even if it causes some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Human Element
The same praise does not extend for the romantic plot. The film's approach vacillates between relationship drama, zany antics, predictable love story, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a consistent feel. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a very good boy.)
The film attempts to provide depth to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, considering the title character is by far the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their original breakup would feel more nuanced with less exposition and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Crafting a story with this canine conflict is not terrible – though it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video this December.
