It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a pet post-separation is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such situations prevent former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to become depressed.
Without minimizing the mental health of our pets – many owners speak of their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to divided living arrangements. If this concept an entire Christmas romance around this situation works effectively seems rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and directed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than a light film. It functions as a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity is limited. The narrative unfolds as uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – featuring a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – think flurries piled on green trees as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these familiar elements coalesce into something enjoyable depends on the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style shifts uneasily between relationship drama, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, failing to master a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a charming humility that supplies much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a bit too dry, particularly when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Merv himself succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite 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 – which is unfortunate, since the title character is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video starting December 10.
