This is a common warning in certain circles that sharing custody a dog post-separation is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such arrangements prevent individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. As it turns out, in a revelation fit for a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to become depressed.
Not to downplay the inner life of dogs – pet parents observe their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to life in two homes. If this concept a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than what it is. We have here a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the complexity is limited. The plot unfolds as uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think obvious snow effects surrounding lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
How these standard ingredients come together into a pleasant experience hinges on the execution and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who seek out for dog videos. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie delivers on walking sequences, canine sorrow, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness does not extend for the interpersonal drama. The tone shifts uneasily between relationship drama, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and physical comedy, failing to master any one mode. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the unusual premise. He brings a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her Anna comes across as a little too aloof, especially when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Merv himself manages looking despondent – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains an excellent dog.)
The story strives to give weight to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that the dog is by far the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, 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 light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Making a film on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video starting December 10.
