This is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such setups hinder individuals from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for all parties. Seemingly, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the mental health of our pets – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a 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 brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to life in two homes. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than a light film. It functions as a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity are modest. Its storyline unfolds as straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – think fake snow piled on verdant foliage as North Carolina substitutes for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these familiar elements merge into an entertaining watch depends on the execution and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a series of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer walking sequences, canine sorrow, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between serious study, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, failing to master a single genre. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward inherent in the dog resort scenario. He brings a endearing lack of ego that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. The character comes across as a touch too detached, particularly when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog manages looking despondent – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for the split could have been more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – but it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.