This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a dog post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such situations impede former couples from healing, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to experience sadness.
While respecting the inner life of animals – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. For a prime example in canine melancholy, one need only look another performance. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to life in two homes. If this concept a feature-length romcom on such a setup holds water remains rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. It functions as a holiday release from a corporate studio – the depth is limited. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – including familiar faces – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – as seen in fake snow clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina substitutes for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable depends on the strength of the performances and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the canine star, and though it results in some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing walking sequences, dog depression, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise cannot be applied for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between serious study, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and silly gags, never fully committing to any one mode. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe demanded of the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a charming humility that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. The character comes across as a little too aloof, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog manages looking despondent – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
The story strives to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that the title character is undoubtedly the best part of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
