This is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a pet following a split is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements impede ex-partners from moving forward, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying across the board. Apparently, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the inner life of animals – pet parents observe their remarkable empathy. If you need standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to life in two homes. Whether this premise a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable seems rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by the writing duo and under the guidance of director Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than a light film. We have here a holiday release from a corporate studio – the depth are modest. The plot unfolds as uncomplicated: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think fake snow surrounding green trees as a warm climate stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
If these standard ingredients merge into an entertaining watch depends on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success does not extend for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, failing to master any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. He brings a charming humility that offers much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal can feel a bit too dry, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains a very good boy.)
The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, since the title character is easily the best part of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The reason for their separation could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Making a film about dog co-parenting is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Prime Video on December 10th.
