It is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such situations prevent former couples from moving forward, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance across the board. Seemingly, as a development suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause our furry friends to become depressed.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – many owners observe their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in canine melancholy, consider recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation holds water seems rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than its premise. We have here a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. The narrative proves to be straightforward: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will presumably realize the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – including familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – as seen in flurries surrounding green trees as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these familiar elements coalesce into something enjoyable hinges on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness is not earned for the romantic plot. Its style wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, predictable love story, and physical comedy, not quite landing a consistent feel. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny required by the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna seems a touch too detached, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Gus the Dog manages looking despondent – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, since the dog is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The cause for the split might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though it's hardly a great one either.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
