This is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a pet post-separation is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such arrangements prevent individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Apparently, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the canine in question to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of animals – many owners observe their remarkable empathy. To witness a masterclass in pet despair, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to life in two homes. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance around this situation holds water seems rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and directed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than what it is. It functions as a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the depth is limited. The narrative proves to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – featuring a group of comedic actors – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – exemplified by flurries piled on verdant foliage as a warm climate doubles as the Northeast.
The Canine Charisma
How these standard ingredients coalesce into an entertaining watch depends on the execution and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. It provides a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success is not earned for the romantic plot. The film's approach shifts uneasily between serious study, zany antics, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a little too aloof, notably when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a very good boy.)
The story strives to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since the dog is easily the cutest element of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their original breakup might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.
- Merv premieres on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
