It is a common warning for numerous people that jointly caring for a dog after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such arrangements prevent former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and become annoying for all parties. Seemingly, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the inner life of animals – pet parents speak of their deep emotional capacity. For a masterclass in pet despair, consider another performance. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, 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 on such a setup holds water seems rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. We have here a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the complexity are modest. The narrative proves to be straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by flurries surrounding green trees as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements come together into something enjoyable depends on the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some awkward editing between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on walking sequences, dog depression, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. Its style vacillates between relationship drama, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and physical comedy, not quite landing a single genre. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. The character seems a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, given that the title character is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup might seem more adult and realistic with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
