Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart wrote “Suze,” a movie I loved and reviewed for this site. “Suze” had an artificial premise, but the relationships were prioritized and there was enough eccentricity in the characters to keep things interesting. Sadly, the same cannot be said for their new film, “Merv,” directed by Jessica Swale. “Merv” is the story of a dog who gets depressed when his “parents” split up. Should they stay together for the dog, whom they both love beyond measure? This is a cute set-up, but there’s something lackluster and even obligatory about “Merv”.
Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) have recently called it quits, but neither can bear saying goodbye to Merv (played by Gus, a handsome little terrier with a sweet expressive face). Merv spends one week with Anna, one week with Russ, and back. Merv isn’t into it. He mopes and whines, wanting them to be together. This shared custody agreement forces Anna and Russ to be in constant contact, not the best scenario for moving on with your life. Anna works as an optometrist and Russ teaches elementary school, and both have best friends (Chris Redd and Jasmine Mathews) whose sole purpose in life is to be a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear. The best friends are functional only.
A couple bonded by a dog is proven ground in storytelling. There’s no reason “Merv” shouldn’t work. An ex-couple fighting over custody of their dog was covered for all time in the 1937 screwball comedy “The Awful Truth,” where Cary Grant and Irene Dunne make a huge fuss over how much they hate each other, while still being clearly in love, all as they compete for their dog’s loyalty. Perhaps it’s an unfair comparison, but if it’s been done before, and so definitively that the film remains a classic almost 100 years after it was released, maybe steal a page from the “Awful Truth” handbook. At every turn, “Merv” has opportunities to be silly, or playful with its central idea, or to generate some kooky shenanigans involving the dog and the ex-couple and their new dating life, and all of the problems and jealousies this could cause (in humans and in canines). “Merv” refuses to go there, refuses to be creative with its own premise.
Much could have been saved if Deschanel and Coz had authentic chemistry. Why Anna and Ross broke up isn’t revealed until nearly the end, but the film never explains what bonded these two together in the first place. Their overall vibe is mutual friend-zone. There’s no sexual heat, no bitter feelings, no intense feelings at all! Cary Grant and Irene Dunne were at each other’s throats for the entirety of “The Awful Truth,” and you spend the whole movie wanting them to just get over themselves and reconcile. Russ and Anna seem basically together anyway, since they spend the entire movie together. Every choice made lessens the stakes.
“Merv” is heartwarming, in the abstract, but the heat generated is strictly lukewarm.
