This is a widely held belief for numerous people that co-parenting a pet following a split is ill-advised. Most will argue such situations prevent former couples from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and become annoying for everyone involved. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of animals – pet parents observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in canine melancholy, simply recall recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to life in two homes. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup works effectively is a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, the work of the writing duo and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than what it is. We have here a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity is limited. The plot proves to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by obvious snow effects surrounding verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these familiar elements coalesce into something enjoyable rests upon the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who seek out for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the dog, and even if it causes some awkward editing between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie does offer walking sequences, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between relationship drama, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny demanded of the dog resort scenario. He brings a endearing lack of ego that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal comes across as a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, given that Merv is easily the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for their original breakup might seem more grounded and mature with less exposition and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video this December.
