This is a widely held belief in certain circles that jointly caring for a canine companion after a breakup is a terrible idea. Most will argue such situations prevent ex-partners from finding closure, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to become depressed.
Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. To witness a masterclass in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable remains debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than its premise. This is a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – including familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think obvious snow effects surrounding verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these familiar elements merge into a pleasant experience depends on the execution and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is Merv himself, and though it results in some awkward editing between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie does offer canine party antics, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains 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, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a little too aloof, especially when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Merv himself manages acting depressed – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a very good boy.)
Merv tries to provide depth to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, since the title character is undoubtedly the best part of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation would feel more nuanced with less exposition and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting has potential – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
