This is a common warning among many that sharing custody a dog post-separation is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such setups hinder individuals from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and become annoying across the board. Seemingly, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it also makes our furry friends to become depressed.
While respecting the mental health of animals – countless people attest to their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in pet despair, simply recall another performance. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a full holiday film on such a setup holds water remains rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. It functions as a holiday release from a corporate studio – the depth remains surface-level. The plot unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including familiar faces – serve 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 obviously artificial – think fake snow piled on lush pines as a warm climate stands in for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience hinges on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – individuals who seek out for dog videos. Audiences receive a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is Merv himself, and though it results in some stilted moments between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer dog beach fun, dog depression, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, predictable love story, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a consistent feel. This is not Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal comes across as a little too aloof, notably when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely an excellent dog.)
The story strives to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, considering the dog is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, meeting every expected note. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.
