This is a common warning in certain circles that sharing custody a canine companion after a breakup is a terrible idea. Most will argue such situations prevent former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance for all parties. Apparently, in a revelation fit for a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of our pets – many owners speak of their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in canine melancholy, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time coping with split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation works effectively seems a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than its premise. We have here a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity are modest. The narrative is destined to be uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will presumably realize the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – played by a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by flurries clinging to lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
If these predictable parts coalesce into a pleasant experience rests upon the actors' work and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – individuals who seek out for dog videos. The film delivers a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is Merv himself, and while this leads to some awkward editing between animal action and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the romantic plot. Its style wavers between emotional depth, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that offers much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal can feel a touch too detached, especially when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)
The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since the title character is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split could have been more nuanced with less exposition and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting all its marks. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – even if it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video starting December 10.
