This is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such setups prevent former couples from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – many owners attest to their remarkable empathy. For a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, simply recall another performance. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a spirited little dog brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance around this situation holds water is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than what it is. It functions as a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The plot unfolds as straightforward: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will presumably realize the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – played by a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by obvious snow effects piled on green trees as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
Where the Film Shines
How these standard ingredients merge into an entertaining watch depends on the actors' work and an acceptance of comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a plethora of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the dog, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between animal action and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
The same praise cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, never fully committing to any one mode. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. He brings a likable self-deprecation that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her Anna seems a bit too dry, particularly when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still an excellent dog.)
The story strives to give weight to the central romance for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, since the dog is by far the best part of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split would feel more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. 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 brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
