This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a canine companion after a breakup is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements impede ex-partners from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and are a nuisance across the board. Seemingly, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to become depressed.
Without minimizing the mental health of animals – pet parents observe their profound sensitivity. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time coping with split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance around this situation holds water seems rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than what it is. We have here a holiday release from a corporate studio – the complexity are modest. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – including familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – think fake snow piled on green trees as North Carolina substitutes for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients coalesce into an entertaining watch rests upon the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who seek out for pet content. Audiences receive a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is Merv himself, and though it results in some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a little too aloof, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Merv himself succeeds in looking despondent – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)
The story strives to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is undoubtedly the best part of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their separation could have been more adult and realistic with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting every expected note. Making a film on this shared-custody premise has potential – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
