This is a widely held belief in certain circles that jointly caring for a pet following a split is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such situations prevent individuals from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause our furry friends to feel down.
Not to downplay the mental health of our pets – countless people speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in canine melancholy, consider a past film. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to life in two homes. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup works effectively seems debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. This is a holiday release from a corporate studio – the complexity remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – as seen in flurries clinging to verdant foliage as a warm climate stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the execution and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for pet content. It provides a series of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the canine star, and even if it causes some awkward editing between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, predictable love story, and physical comedy, never fully committing to any one mode. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character comes across as a bit too dry, notably when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, the canine performer succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, given that Merv is undoubtedly the best part of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for their separation might seem more grounded and mature with more screen time and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling every expected note. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.
