This is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such situations prevent former couples from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. Apparently, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of animals – many owners observe their profound sensitivity. To witness a prime example in pet despair, simply recall another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on such a setup is sustainable seems debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and directed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than what it is. We have here a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth are modest. The narrative proves to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will surely realize the idea that they are better together. Side characters – played by a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – exemplified by flurries piled on lush pines as a warm climate doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
If these familiar elements merge into a pleasant experience hinges on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who browse regularly for pet content. Audiences receive a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie does offer dog beach fun, dog depression, and, finally, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, broad humor, predictable love story, and physical comedy, not quite landing a single genre. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe required by the dog resort scenario. He brings a likable self-deprecation that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a little too aloof, particularly when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Gus the Dog succeeds in acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a very good boy.)
Merv tries to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, considering the dog is easily the best part of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.
