It is a common warning in certain circles that sharing custody a dog following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such situations impede former couples from moving forward, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and become annoying for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
While respecting the emotional well-being of dogs – many owners speak of their profound sensitivity. For a masterclass in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult coping with split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup works effectively is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than a light film. We have here a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the complexity remains surface-level. Its storyline is destined to be straightforward: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably realize the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – featuring a group of comedic actors – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – think fake snow surrounding lush pines as a warm climate stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these familiar elements come together into a pleasant experience hinges on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a series of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the dog, and though it results in some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise does not extend for the romantic plot. The tone wavers between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and silly gags, failing to master any one mode. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a little too aloof, particularly when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for the split could have been more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie with this canine conflict has potential – but I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video this December.
