This is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a pet following a split is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such arrangements impede former couples from moving forward, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and become annoying for everyone involved. Seemingly, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to become depressed.
While respecting the emotional well-being of animals – countless people attest to their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in canine melancholy, simply recall recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle coping with life in two homes. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on such a setup holds water remains debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than what it is. We have here a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth are modest. Its storyline unfolds as straightforward: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – including a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – as seen in flurries surrounding verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for a wintery Boston.
Where the Film Shines
If these predictable parts come together into a pleasant experience rests upon the strength of the performances and one's taste for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – those people who browse regularly for pet content. Audiences receive a series of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is Merv himself, and while this leads to some stilted moments between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer canine party antics, dog depression, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, never fully committing to a consistent feel. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the absurd and awkward demanded of the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a endearing lack of ego that supplies much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a little too aloof, particularly when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Gus the Dog manages acting depressed – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a very good boy.)
The film attempts to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, since the title character is undoubtedly the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their original breakup could have been more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise has potential – but it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on Prime Video this December.
