It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a dog post-separation is ill-advised. Most will argue such setups impede individuals from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating across the board. Apparently, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.
While respecting the emotional well-being of dogs – countless people speak of their remarkable empathy. For a prime example in pet despair, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. If this concept a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water seems a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of the writing duo and helmed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions are modest. Its storyline is destined to be straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – featuring a group of comedic actors – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – as seen in flurries surrounding green trees as North Carolina stands in for a cold December city.
The Canine Charisma
How these standard ingredients coalesce into a pleasant experience rests upon the strength of the performances and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – those people who browse regularly for pet content. It provides a wealth of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the canine star, and even if it causes some stilted moments between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie does offer walking sequences, dog depression, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. Its style wavers between relationship drama, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal seems a little too aloof, especially when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to give weight to the central romance for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, since Merv is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their separation might seem more nuanced with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
