This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that jointly caring for a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such situations hinder former couples from healing, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to feel down.
While respecting the inner life of animals – many owners speak of their profound sensitivity. To witness a prime example in canine melancholy, simply recall recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a full holiday film on this conflict works effectively is rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and directed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than a light film. It functions as a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by obvious snow effects surrounding green trees as a summer location substitutes for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
If these familiar elements come together into an entertaining watch rests upon the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the dog, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, especially when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that the dog is undoubtedly the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split could have been more grounded and mature with less exposition and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, meeting all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – though it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video starting December 10.
