This is a common warning among many that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such arrangements prevent individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to experience sadness.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. To witness a masterclass in dog sorrow, consider recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance around this situation is sustainable seems a questionable prospect.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than a light film. We have here a holiday release from a corporate studio – the ambitions are modest. Its storyline unfolds as uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look has the quality of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow surrounding verdant foliage as a warm climate substitutes for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these predictable parts coalesce into something enjoyable depends on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who scroll endlessly for pet content. The film delivers a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is Merv himself, and even if it causes some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success is not earned for the romantic plot. The film's approach shifts uneasily between relationship drama, broad humor, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, the canine performer succeeds in looking despondent – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a very good boy.)
Merv tries to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is by far the best part of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The cause for the split could have been more nuanced with less exposition and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise has potential – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform this December.
