This is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a dog following a split is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such setups hinder former couples from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, in a revelation fit for a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the canine in question to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the inner life of dogs – pet parents observe their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation works effectively seems a questionable prospect.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. This is a holiday release from a corporate studio – the depth are modest. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow piled on lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience hinges on the execution and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – those people who seek out for pet content. The film delivers a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is Merv himself, and though it results in some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie does offer canine party antics, pet moping, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. Its style wavers between relationship drama, zany antics, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. This is not Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe required by the dog resort scenario. He brings a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. The character can feel a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, considering the dog is undoubtedly the best part of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Making a film on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
