This is a widely held belief for numerous people that sharing custody a dog following a split is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such setups prevent individuals from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for all parties. Apparently, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of animals – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to split households. Whether this premise a full holiday film on such a setup works effectively remains debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and directed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than its premise. It functions as a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – serve as the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic has the quality of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think obvious snow effects clinging to green trees as a warm climate stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
Whether these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable depends on the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the dog, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on walking sequences, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.
The Human Element
This level of success is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog succeeds in acting depressed – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, considering the title character is easily the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for their original breakup would feel more grounded and mature with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film about dog co-parenting is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.
