It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a dog after a breakup is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such setups prevent individuals from healing, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a streaming movie, it can even cause our furry friends to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of our pets – many owners speak of their profound sensitivity. For a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, simply recall a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to split households. If this concept a full holiday film on such a setup holds water seems debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than a light film. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. Its storyline proves to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – including a group of comedic actors – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – think fake snow surrounding lush pines as a summer location doubles as the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
If these standard ingredients come together into an entertaining watch depends on the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and while this leads to some awkward editing between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie does offer walking sequences, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach shifts uneasily between relationship drama, zany antics, predictable love story, and silly gags, not quite landing a single genre. This is not Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to give weight to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, since Merv is easily the best part of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split could have been more adult and realistic with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting every expected note. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise has potential – even if it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video this December.
