It is a widely held belief for numerous people that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such situations prevent ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and are a nuisance across the board. Apparently, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of our pets – many owners attest to their profound sensitivity. To witness a prime example in pet despair, consider recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to divided living arrangements. If this concept a feature-length romcom on such a setup holds water remains debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than what it is. It functions as a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – played by a group of comedic actors – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think fake snow clinging to green trees as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these predictable parts coalesce into an entertaining watch depends on the execution and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who scroll endlessly for dog videos. It provides a series of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, finally, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success does not extend for the romantic plot. The film's approach shifts uneasily between relationship drama, zany antics, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny inherent in the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a charming humility that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a little too aloof, notably when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, the canine performer manages looking despondent – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a scene-stealer.)
Merv tries to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, since the dog is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup could have been more nuanced with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Making a film about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
