This is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements prevent ex-partners from moving forward, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance across the board. Apparently, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.
Without minimizing the emotional well-being of animals – many owners attest to their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. If this concept a full holiday film on this conflict holds water is a questionable prospect.Standard Holiday Fare
To its credit, Merv, written by the writing duo and directed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than its premise. It functions as a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the depth remains surface-level. The plot unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will presumably realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. The film's look has the quality of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think obvious snow effects piled on lush pines as a summer location doubles as the Northeast.
Where the Film Shines
How these standard ingredients come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the execution and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a series of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the canine star, and though it results in some awkward editing between animal action and people's faces, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone wavers between emotional depth, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, never fully committing to a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a very good boy.)
Merv tries to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, considering the title character is easily the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The reason for their original breakup might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – though I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on Prime Video this December.
