It is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a dog following a split is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such arrangements hinder individuals from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and become annoying for all parties. As it turns out, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it also makes our furry friends to become depressed.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of dogs – pet parents attest to their remarkable empathy. For a prime example in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom around this situation works effectively seems a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and directed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. This is a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity are modest. The plot proves to be straightforward: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – played by a group of comedic actors – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow clinging to lush pines as a summer location stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable rests upon the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for dog videos. It provides a series of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and though it results in some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie delivers on canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between serious study, broad humor, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe inherent in the bizarre setting. He brings a likable self-deprecation that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal can feel a little too aloof, especially when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog manages flopping and whining – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to add substance to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video this December.
