This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. Most will argue such arrangements impede former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to feel down.
While respecting the inner life of animals – countless people attest to their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adjusting to life in two homes. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation works effectively remains rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than its premise. It functions as a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth are modest. Its storyline proves to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – featuring a group of comedic actors – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – as seen in fake snow clinging to green trees as a warm climate stands in for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
If these familiar elements coalesce into a pleasant experience depends on the execution and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, broad humor, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a little too aloof, notably when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, given that the dog is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting all its marks. Making a film on this shared-custody premise has potential – though it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv streams on Prime Video starting December 10.
