This is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a pet after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such situations impede ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. As it turns out, in a revelation fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to feel down.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of dogs – many owners observe their remarkable empathy. For a prime example in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup holds water remains debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than what it is. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity remains surface-level. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably realize the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by flurries clinging to green trees as North Carolina substitutes for a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
If these standard ingredients coalesce into an entertaining watch depends on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. It provides a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is Merv himself, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, zany antics, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal can feel a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, the canine performer manages looking despondent – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since the dog is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with less exposition and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting all its marks. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – even if it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video on December 10th.
