It is a common warning among many that co-parenting a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such arrangements hinder individuals from healing, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of animals – countless people attest to their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in pet despair, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult coping with split households. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on such a setup is sustainable remains a questionable prospect.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than what it is. This is a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth are modest. The plot is destined to be uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – featuring a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually carries the feel of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – think fake snow piled on verdant foliage as North Carolina substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements merge into an entertaining watch rests upon the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who scroll endlessly for pet content. The film delivers a series of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Human Element
This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, failing to master any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward required by the bizarre setting. He brings a endearing lack of ego that supplies much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal seems a bit too dry, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that the dog is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for their separation might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting has potential – but it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on Prime Video on December 10th.
