This is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that co-parenting a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede ex-partners from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the canine in question to feel down.
While respecting the emotional well-being of animals – pet parents speak of their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in canine melancholy, consider a past film. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adjusting to split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on this conflict works effectively seems rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than its premise. We have here a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions are modest. The narrative proves to be simple and direct: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think fake snow surrounding lush pines as a warm climate doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
How these standard ingredients coalesce into a pleasant experience hinges on the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the dog, and even if it causes some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness does not extend for the interpersonal drama. The tone shifts uneasily between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and silly gags, never fully committing to a single genre. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a charming humility that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a touch too detached, notably when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Merv himself is convincing at looking despondent – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to give weight to the central romance for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is easily the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for the split could have been more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling all its marks. Making a film about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – even if it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
