Fans of the reality show “Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan” might recognize the truth in the following sentiment: The problem with the film “Merv” isn’t the sweet boy of the title, it’s the humans.
Sure Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) are having an, ahem, ruff time navigating their recent split, but the real issue for this rom-com (directed by Jessica Swale, script by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart) is the oddly flat role it gives its four-pawed lead.
As the movie opens, the streets of Boston are snowy, and Merv is being shuttled between homes. “The Mervinator” — his Instagram handle, courtesy of Russ — lives one week in the mess that is Russ’s apartment and the next at Anna’s, which is so tidy it will never require staging.
But something is off with Merv, the pair fret in front of a too-patient veterinarian. Is he sick, or is his malaise reflective of a deeper separation anxiety?
To perk up Merv, Russ, an elementary schoolteacher, books a trip to a Florida dog spa. Anna, an optometrist, arrives uninvited. Cue the slapstick (about Anna’s neuroses), the whiffs of new love (for Merv and Russ) and a salsa dance toward renewed affection (don’t ask).
Like Merv (played with hangdog glances by Gus, a handsome terrier mix), viewers may be confused about why the couple split. A slow-burn revelation provides a weighty answer and why they overly anthropomorphize their dog. Merv proves less a character than a catalyst in a film that’s content to have its treat and eat it, too.
Merv Rated PG. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes. Watch on Prime Video.
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