This is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such setups impede ex-partners from finding closure, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Apparently, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
While respecting the inner life of our pets – pet parents observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look another performance. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable is rather doubtful.Standard Holiday Fare
Honestly, Merv, the work of the writing duo and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than what it is. This is a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity is limited. The narrative proves to be straightforward: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by 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 should reunite. The supporting cast – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually carries the feel of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think obvious snow effects piled on green trees as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
Whether these familiar elements come together into a pleasant experience depends on the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who seek out for dog videos. It provides a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on walking sequences, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between relationship drama, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, not quite landing a consistent feel. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, particularly when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, the canine performer manages flopping and whining – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to give weight to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since the dog is by far the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their separation might seem more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, fulfilling all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting has potential – even if it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
