This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede former couples from finding closure, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and become annoying for everyone involved. Seemingly, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of animals – pet parents observe their remarkable empathy. If you need masterclass in pet despair, consider recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult coping with divided living arrangements. If this concept a full holiday film on this conflict works effectively is a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than what it is. It functions as a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will presumably realize the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – played by a group of comedic actors – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think flurries surrounding lush pines as a warm climate doubles as the Northeast.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these standard ingredients coalesce into a pleasant experience hinges on the execution and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the dog, and even if it causes some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Human Element
The same praise cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, not quite landing a consistent feel. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a little too aloof, notably when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a very good boy.)
The story strives to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split might seem more nuanced with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting every expected note. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise has potential – though it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv streams on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
