This is a common warning among many that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such arrangements hinder ex-partners from finding closure, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. Apparently, and in a twist suited to a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to become depressed.
Not to downplay the inner life of animals – countless people attest to their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, consider a past film. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a spirited little dog portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time coping with divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable is a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than what it is. This is a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the depth remains surface-level. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow surrounding green trees as a summer location substitutes for a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
How these familiar elements come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is Merv himself, and though it results in some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise does not extend for the interpersonal drama. The tone vacillates between relationship drama, broad humor, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the silliness and cringe demanded of the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal comes across as a little too aloof, particularly when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, the canine performer manages looking despondent – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to give weight to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, given that the title character is undoubtedly the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their original breakup might seem more grounded and mature with less exposition and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Making a film on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on Prime Video this December.
