This is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that jointly caring for a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. Most will argue such situations impede ex-partners from moving forward, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and become annoying for all parties. Apparently, in a revelation worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to become depressed.
Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in pet despair, simply recall another performance. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable remains debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and under the guidance of playwright Jessica 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 depth remains surface-level. The plot is destined to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will surely realize the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – played by familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – as seen in obvious snow effects piled on lush pines as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients come together into something enjoyable depends on the actors' work and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the canine star, and though it results in some clunky cuts between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The tone wavers between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and silly gags, not quite landing any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny required by the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal seems a touch too detached, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Gus the Dog succeeds in acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with less exposition and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling all its marks. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video starting December 10.
