This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such situations prevent former couples from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of dogs – countless people speak of their deep emotional capacity. To witness a masterclass in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup works effectively seems a questionable prospect.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than a light film. This is a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity are modest. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – featuring familiar faces – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – as seen in fake snow surrounding lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable rests upon the actors' work and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – those people who scroll endlessly for pet content. The film delivers a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is Merv himself, and though it results in some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success does not extend for the human side of the story. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, failing to master any one mode. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks 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, particularly when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
Merv tries to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, since the dog is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if it's hardly a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
