It is a common warning in certain circles that co-parenting a pet after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such setups prevent ex-partners from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and become annoying for everyone involved. Seemingly, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to feel down.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of our pets – countless people speak of their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in dog sorrow, consider recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time coping with split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than a light film. We have here a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth is limited. The plot unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will surely realize the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – think flurries surrounding green trees as North Carolina substitutes for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable depends on the actors' work and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – those people who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and though it results in some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie delivers on walking sequences, pet moping, and, in the end, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness is not earned for the romantic plot. The film's approach shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, not quite landing any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny required by the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, especially when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, since the dog is easily the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The cause for the split could have been more nuanced with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – but I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
