It is a common warning for numerous people that sharing custody a pet following a split is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such situations impede former couples from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to feel down.
While respecting the inner life of animals – many owners observe their remarkable empathy. For a prime example in pet despair, simply recall recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable remains rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, the work of the writing duo and directed by director Swale, never aspires to be deeper than a light film. This is a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by fake snow surrounding lush pines as North Carolina substitutes for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience depends on the strength of the performances and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. It provides a series of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the canine star, and though it results in some clunky cuts between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
The same praise is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The tone wavers between relationship drama, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the bizarre setting. He brings a charming humility that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. The character comes across as a bit too dry, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to provide depth to the central romance for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, given that the title character is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for their separation would feel more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting has potential – but I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
