It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such setups prevent ex-partners from healing, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of dogs – pet parents observe their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in pet despair, simply recall a past film. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a full holiday film on this conflict holds water seems rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. It functions as a holiday release from a corporate studio – the complexity is limited. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Side characters – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think obvious snow effects clinging to green trees as North Carolina substitutes for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
How these predictable parts merge into something enjoyable depends on the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the dog, and even if it causes some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, not quite landing any one mode. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward inherent in the dog resort scenario. He brings a endearing lack of ego that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal can feel a touch too detached, especially when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, given that Merv is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for the split might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling all its marks. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.
