This is a common warning among many that sharing custody a canine companion post-separation is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such setups impede former couples from moving forward, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. As it turns out, as a development worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause our furry friends to feel down.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of animals – pet parents observe their profound sensitivity. For a prime example in dog sorrow, consider a past film. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by Gus the Dog, would struggle adjusting to divided living arrangements. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on such a setup is sustainable remains rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. This is a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity is limited. The plot unfolds as uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will surely rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as the usual assortment of types. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – as seen in flurries piled on verdant foliage as a warm climate doubles as a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements coalesce into a pleasant experience rests upon the execution and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe demanded of the bizarre setting. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a touch too detached, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a very good boy.)
The film attempts to provide depth to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the title character is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split could have been more grounded and mature with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film on this shared-custody premise has potential – though I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video this December.
