🔗 Share this article

This is a widely held belief in certain circles that co-parenting a pet post-separation is ill-advised. Most will argue such arrangements prevent ex-partners from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and become annoying for all parties. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.

While respecting the emotional well-being of animals – many owners speak of their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in pet despair, consider recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by the canine actor Gus, would struggle coping with life in two homes. If this concept a feature-length romcom on such a setup works effectively remains rather doubtful.

Predictable Foundations

Honestly, Merv, written by its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. This is a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions is limited. The narrative is destined to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will surely realize the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – played by familiar faces – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – as seen in fake snow surrounding verdant foliage as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.

The Dog's Domain

How these predictable parts merge into something enjoyable rests upon the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is Merv himself, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing walking sequences, canine sorrow, and, finally, doggie joy.

The Human Element

This level of success cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The film's approach shifts uneasily between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that offers much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. The character comes across as a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in looking despondent – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)

The story strives to give weight to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, considering the title character is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split could have been more adult and realistic with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting every expected note. Making a film about dog co-parenting has potential – even if it's not exactly a great one either.

• Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.