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 hinder former couples from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and become annoying for everyone involved. As it turns out, as a development fit for a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to feel down.
While respecting the mental health of dogs – countless people attest to their profound sensitivity. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, simply recall a past film. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom around this situation works effectively is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than a light film. It functions as a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will surely realize the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – think flurries surrounding lush pines as a summer location stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these familiar elements coalesce into a pleasant experience depends on the actors' work and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who browse regularly for pet content. Audiences receive a series of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward required by the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a little too aloof, notably when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Merv himself manages looking despondent – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that Merv is by far the best part of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split could have been more adult and realistic with more screen time and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Making a film with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – even if it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
