It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such setups impede individuals from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and are a nuisance across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a streaming movie, it also makes our furry friends to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of animals – countless people attest to their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in pet despair, consider another performance. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a spirited little dog played by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable is rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than its premise. This is a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity is limited. The narrative is destined to be straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look carries the feel of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – exemplified by flurries clinging to green trees as a warm climate substitutes for the Northeast.
Where the Film Shines
How these predictable parts merge into something enjoyable depends on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who browse regularly for dog videos. The film delivers a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some awkward editing between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and silly gags, failing to master any one mode. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a bit too dry, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, the canine performer manages acting depressed – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to add substance to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, given that Merv is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation could have been more adult and realistic with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise has potential – but I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on Prime Video starting December 10.
