It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that sharing custody a canine companion post-separation is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such setups hinder ex-partners from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in dog sorrow, consider a past film. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adapting to split households. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom around this situation holds water is debatable at best.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions are modest. The narrative is destined to be uncomplicated: a separated couple Russ, played by 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 dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by flurries clinging to green trees as a summer location substitutes for the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these familiar elements merge into something enjoyable rests upon the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is Merv himself, and though it results in some awkward editing between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on canine party antics, dog depression, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
This level of success is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, formulaic romance, and silly gags, never fully committing to any one mode. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal can feel a little too aloof, especially when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains a very good boy.)
The story strives to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, considering the dog is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for the split would feel more adult and realistic with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting all its marks. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise has potential – but it's not exactly a great one either.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.
