It is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a canine companion following a split is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such situations hinder ex-partners from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and become annoying for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the canine in question to feel down.
Not to downplay the inner life of animals – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. For a prime example in pet despair, one need only look a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation holds water remains rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. This is a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the ambitions remains surface-level. The plot unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – played by familiar faces – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – as seen in fake snow piled on green trees as a warm climate doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these predictable parts coalesce into an entertaining watch hinges on the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, doggie joy.
The Human Element
Such effectiveness does not extend for the romantic plot. The film's approach shifts uneasily between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is fully game the absurd and awkward demanded of the bizarre setting. He brings a endearing lack of ego that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a little too aloof, particularly when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, since Merv is by far the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for their separation could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv streams on Prime Video this December.
