This is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. Most will argue such situations hinder individuals from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating across the board. Seemingly, as a development suited to a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of our pets – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, simply recall a past film. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by the canine actor Gus, would struggle coping with split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on such a setup works effectively is debatable at best.A Familiar Formula
Honestly, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and under the guidance of director Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than what it is. We have here a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity are modest. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – played by familiar faces – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look has the quality of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – as seen in flurries surrounding green trees as a summer location doubles as a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these predictable parts come together into an entertaining watch depends on the execution and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for cute animal clips. It provides a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the dog, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Human Element
The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style shifts uneasily between relationship drama, broad humor, predictable love story, and silly gags, not quite landing any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. He brings a charming humility that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a little too aloof, notably when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains an excellent dog.)
Merv tries to provide depth to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, since Merv is undoubtedly the best part of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie with this canine conflict has potential – though it's not exactly a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform starting December 10.
