🔗 Share this article

This is a widely held belief among many that co-parenting a dog post-separation is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such arrangements impede individuals from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. As it turns out, as a development suited to a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to experience sadness.

While respecting the inner life of animals – pet parents speak of their remarkable empathy. To witness a prime example in dog sorrow, consider a past film. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. If this concept a feature-length romcom around this situation works effectively remains rather doubtful.

Predictable Foundations

Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. We have here a holiday release from a corporate studio – the depth is limited. The plot is destined to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – featuring a group of comedic actors – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – as seen in flurries piled on lush pines as North Carolina doubles as the Northeast.

The Dog's Domain

How these predictable parts merge into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – the kind who seek out for dog videos. It provides a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the canine star, and though it results in some stilted moments between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.

Where It Wobbles

Such effectiveness does not extend for the romantic plot. The tone wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is fully game the absurd and awkward 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. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will either resonate with viewers. The character can feel a touch too detached, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in looking despondent – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains an excellent dog.)

Merv tries to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is easily the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The catalyst for the split could have been more grounded and mature with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.

• Merv premieres on the Amazon platform on December 10th.