This is a widely held belief in certain circles that co-parenting a pet post-separation is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such arrangements hinder individuals from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and prove frustrating across the board. Apparently, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – pet parents attest to their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in canine melancholy, simply recall a past film. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult coping with split households. Whether this premise a full holiday film on this conflict holds water remains debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. This is a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions are modest. Its storyline unfolds as straightforward: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will presumably realize the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as 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 warm climate stands in for a wintery Boston.
Where the Film Shines
How these predictable parts merge into something enjoyable depends on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for pet content. The film delivers a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is Merv himself, and even if it causes some awkward editing between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
The Human Element
Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between relationship drama, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is fully game the absurd and awkward demanded of the bizarre setting. He brings a likable self-deprecation that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. The character seems a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Merv himself succeeds in acting depressed – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a very good boy.)
The story strives to provide depth to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, since the dog is by far the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their separation could have been more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform this December.
