It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that sharing custody a canine companion post-separation is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such arrangements hinder ex-partners from moving forward, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating across the board. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to feel down.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of animals – pet parents speak of their deep emotional capacity. For a standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a spirited little dog played by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult coping with divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a full holiday film around this situation is sustainable seems debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than what it is. This is a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – think flurries piled on green trees as North Carolina doubles as the Northeast.
Where the Film Shines
Whether these predictable parts coalesce into something enjoyable hinges on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success is not earned for the interpersonal drama. Its style vacillates between serious study, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and silly gags, never fully committing to a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward required by the bizarre setting. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. The character can feel a little too aloof, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog manages acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, since Merv is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split could have been more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video this December.
