This is a widely held belief among many that co-parenting a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such setups impede ex-partners from moving forward, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause our furry friends to become depressed.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of our pets – pet parents attest to their remarkable empathy. If you need standout portrayal in dog sorrow, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by Gus the Dog, would struggle coping with life in two homes. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation is sustainable seems debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. We have here a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by fake snow surrounding verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for a cold December city.
Where the Film Shines
How these standard ingredients come together into a pleasant experience rests upon the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who browse regularly for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the canine star, and though it results in some clunky cuts between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success does not extend for the interpersonal drama. Its style shifts uneasily between relationship drama, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that supplies much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still 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 easily the best part of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split might seem more nuanced with less exposition and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – even if it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video this December.
