It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that sharing custody a dog after a breakup is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such arrangements hinder former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of dogs – many owners attest to their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. If this concept a full holiday film around this situation holds water seems rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than its premise. It functions as a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth remains surface-level. The narrative unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – think obvious snow effects surrounding green trees as a warm climate stands in for a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these standard ingredients come together into something enjoyable depends on the strength of the performances and one's taste for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie does offer canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
Such effectiveness does not extend for the human side of the story. The tone vacillates between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, not quite landing a consistent feel. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward demanded of the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, the canine performer is convincing at acting depressed – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to add substance to the central romance for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is easily the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – but I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.
