It is a common warning among many that co-parenting a dog after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such arrangements prevent individuals from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of our pets – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look a past film. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by Gus the Dog, would struggle coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a full holiday film on this conflict works effectively is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, never aspires to be deeper than what it is. It functions as a holiday release from a corporate studio – the depth is limited. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will surely realize the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – as seen in obvious snow effects piled on lush pines as a warm climate substitutes for a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these predictable parts merge into something enjoyable depends on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a series of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, pet moping, and, in the end, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise does not extend for the interpersonal drama. Its style shifts uneasily between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the dog resort scenario. He brings a charming humility that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a little too aloof, particularly when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, the canine performer is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to give weight to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, considering Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The reason for the split might seem more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Making a film about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – though it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video on December 10th.
