It is a common warning among many that sharing custody a canine companion after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such situations prevent former couples from moving forward, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and are a nuisance across the board. As it turns out, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – many owners speak of their deep emotional capacity. For a prime example in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to life in two homes. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation is sustainable seems debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than a light film. It functions as a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions are modest. Its storyline proves to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by flurries clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina doubles as the Northeast.
Where the Film Shines
How these familiar elements come together into a pleasant experience rests upon the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – the kind who seek out for dog videos. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is Merv himself, and even if it causes some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between emotional depth, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
Merv tries to provide depth to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the dog is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split would feel more grounded and mature with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video starting December 10.
