This is a widely held belief for numerous people that co-parenting a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such situations prevent individuals from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
While respecting the inner life of animals – pet parents speak of their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog portrayed by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable remains rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than its premise. We have here a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. The plot proves to be straightforward: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – played by familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think obvious snow effects piled on lush pines as North Carolina stands in for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
If these predictable parts merge into an entertaining watch hinges on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who scroll endlessly for pet content. The film delivers a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is Merv himself, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness does not extend for the interpersonal drama. Its style wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. The character comes across as a bit too dry, especially when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling all its marks. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – but it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
