A recently separated couple take their shared dog on a holiday trip to cheer him up, but end up reconnecting romantically.
Chuck says:
So innocuous that if it were a color, it would make beige look dynamic, Jessica Swale’s “Merv” is a bland, inconsequential rom-com that seemingly makes time stand still. Destined to be used in sleep clinics around the world as a cure for insomnia, this by-the-numbers production pulls off the amazing feat of containing numerous dogs, yet ceases to be charming or cute. Equally wasted are Zoey Deschanel and Charlie Cox, two capable performers who fail to generate a spark between them or interest in the story they’re stuck in.
While there are two writers listed in the credits, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were ultimately revealed to be fronts for a script that was written using AI. Anna and Russ (Deschanel and Cox) are exes who share a dog, the titular mutt, Merv. Trading off a week at a time, their joint custody arrangement results in their pooch becoming depressed. The vet they take him to says that if this state of affairs continues it could cause permanent heart damage.
Obviously, there’s only one solution and that’s to take Merv to a dog park located at a beach in Florida. Russ takes it upon himself to do so and Anna soon follows once she catches wind of this impromptu road trip. (Note: These scenes were filmed at Kure Beach, North Carolina. Unfortunately, the dog park was a movie construct, which is a shame, as I and my furry buddy, Marshall would have gone in a heartbeat.)
I really don’t have to get into the details of what happens next. Anna ends up being threatened by a leggy blonde (Ellyn Jameson), decides maybe she made a mistake and…well, you know the rest. Patricia Heaton appears as Russ’ mother, who likes her son’s girlfriend more than him, while Chris Redd is wasted as a grade school principal, with nary an opportunity to generate laughs in sight.
The two leads do what they can and what with the insipid nature of the script, I’m not sure anyone could have brought any life to it. And while I’m trying to picture Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn or Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan prancing around the seashore with numerous dogs in pursuit, it just doesn’t jive. No, this a rote exercise that isn’t interesting enough to serve as an effective time filler. To be sure, it’s made with the best of intentions but it fails to inspire. Unlike most dogs, “Merv’s” cuteness fails to save it.
1 1/2 Stars
