It is a common warning in certain circles that sharing custody a pet following a split is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such situations impede individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to experience sadness.
While respecting the emotional well-being of our pets – countless people speak of their deep emotional capacity. For a masterclass in canine melancholy, one need only look a past film. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time coping with life in two homes. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than its premise. It functions as a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions are modest. The plot proves to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they are better together. Side characters – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think flurries surrounding green trees as North Carolina stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these predictable parts coalesce into a pleasant experience hinges on the strength of the performances and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on walking sequences, dog depression, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach vacillates between serious study, broad humor, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still an excellent dog.)
The story strives to add substance to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, given that the title character is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for the split could have been more nuanced with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting every expected note. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise has potential – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on Prime Video starting December 10.
