It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a pet post-separation is ill-advised. Most will argue such setups hinder individuals from finding closure, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of animals – countless people attest to their deep emotional capacity. For a prime example in canine melancholy, consider a past film. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on this conflict works effectively seems a questionable prospect.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and under the guidance of director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than what it is. This is a holiday release from a corporate studio – the ambitions is limited. The narrative unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow surrounding green trees as a warm climate stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients come together into something enjoyable depends on the execution and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for dog videos. It provides a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is Merv himself, and while this leads to some awkward editing between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success does not extend for the romantic plot. The film's approach wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward inherent in the dog resort scenario. He brings a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. The character can feel a touch too detached, notably when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)
The film attempts to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, given that Merv is undoubtedly the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for the split could have been more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform on December 10th.
