It is a common warning in certain circles that sharing custody a dog post-separation is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such setups impede ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Apparently, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause our furry friends to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of animals – many owners attest to their profound sensitivity. For a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, simply recall a past film. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to life in two homes. Whether this premise a full holiday film around this situation is sustainable is rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and directed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than what it is. We have here a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the complexity are modest. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – as seen in flurries piled on verdant foliage as North Carolina doubles as the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these standard ingredients merge into an entertaining watch hinges on the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for pet content. It provides a series of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
The same praise is not earned for the interpersonal drama. Its style shifts uneasily between relationship drama, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, failing to master a consistent feel. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the bizarre setting. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal comes across as a little too aloof, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Gus the Dog manages acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still an excellent dog.)
The story strives to provide depth to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, considering the dog is undoubtedly the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their separation could have been more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie with this canine conflict has potential – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.
