It is a common warning among many that sharing custody a dog post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such situations prevent individuals from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of animals – countless people observe their profound sensitivity. For a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, simply recall recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by Gus the Dog, would struggle coping with divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable is debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than its premise. It functions as a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth is limited. The narrative unfolds as uncomplicated: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think obvious snow effects piled on verdant foliage as a summer location stands in for a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
How these predictable parts coalesce into something enjoyable depends on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who seek out for dog videos. It provides a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie does offer walking sequences, pet moping, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise does not extend for the romantic plot. Its style shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, the canine performer manages flopping and whining – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a very good boy.)
The film attempts to give weight to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, given that the title character is by far the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their original breakup might seem more nuanced with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – though it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
