This is a common warning among many that sharing custody a dog after a breakup is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such setups impede ex-partners from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in canine melancholy, consider a past film. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult coping with life in two homes. Whether this premise a full holiday film on this conflict holds water seems rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably realize the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – played by familiar faces – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – as seen in flurries piled on lush pines as a warm climate stands in for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these standard ingredients come together into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. It provides a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, dog depression, and, in the end, doggie joy.
The Human Element
The same praise is not earned for the romantic plot. The tone vacillates between serious study, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, not quite landing any one mode. No blame falls on Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward demanded of the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, the canine performer succeeds in looking despondent – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)
The story strives to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since the title character is by far the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The cause for the split might seem more grounded and mature with more screen time and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling every expected note. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise has potential – but it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
