It is a common warning for numerous people that co-parenting a dog following a split is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such setups prevent ex-partners from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating across the board. Apparently, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of animals – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. For a prime example in dog sorrow, simply recall recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to divided living arrangements. If this concept a feature-length romcom on such a setup works effectively is debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than a light film. This is a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the depth is limited. The plot is destined to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will presumably realize the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – including familiar faces – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. The film's look carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by fake snow piled on lush pines as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients come together into something enjoyable depends on the execution and an acceptance of easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some stilted moments between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie does offer walking sequences, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
Such effectiveness does not extend for the interpersonal drama. Its style shifts uneasily between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, not quite landing any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a bit too dry, particularly when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, the canine performer is convincing at acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a very good boy.)
The film attempts to provide depth to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the dog is easily the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their original breakup would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – even if it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
