This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a canine companion following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede former couples from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, as a development fit for a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause our furry friends to feel down.
While respecting the mental health of animals – countless people attest to their deep emotional capacity. To witness a standout portrayal in pet despair, consider a past film. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on this conflict is sustainable is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and helmed by director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions are modest. Its storyline unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ (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. Once there, as expected, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Side characters – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – think fake snow surrounding green trees as a summer location substitutes for the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable rests upon the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. It provides a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and even if it causes some stilted moments between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, dog depression, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, not quite landing any one mode. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in flopping and whining – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to add substance to the central romance for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, since the title character is by far the best part of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their separation would feel more adult and realistic with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting every expected note. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
