It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that sharing custody a pet post-separation is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such setups hinder individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to become depressed.
Without minimizing the inner life of animals – pet parents speak of their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, simply recall recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by Gus the Dog, would struggle adjusting to life in two homes. If this concept a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water is rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by the writing duo and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. It functions as a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions are modest. The narrative unfolds as straightforward: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will surely realize the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think flurries piled on verdant foliage as a warm climate stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience depends on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on canine party antics, pet moping, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a charming humility that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. The character can feel a little too aloof, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, the canine performer is convincing at acting depressed – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still an excellent dog.)
The story strives to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the title character is by far the best part of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for their separation would feel more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film on this shared-custody premise has potential – even if it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video this December.
