This is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such situations prevent ex-partners from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to become depressed.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of animals – countless people attest to their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, simply recall another performance. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a spirited little dog brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable remains a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than a light film. It functions as a holiday release from a corporate studio – the ambitions remains surface-level. The plot is destined to be straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow clinging to lush pines as a summer location stands in for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
How these standard ingredients come together into something enjoyable hinges on the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a series of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and though it results in some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
The same praise cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and silly gags, failing to master any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe demanded of the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. The character seems a bit too dry, especially when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, given that Merv is by far the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for the split might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – but it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
