This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that co-parenting a pet following a split is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such arrangements prevent ex-partners from moving forward, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and become annoying for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to feel down.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of animals – pet parents observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a prime example in canine melancholy, simply recall a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult coping with split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation works effectively is rather doubtful.A Familiar Formula
To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than what it is. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions is limited. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – played by familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by fake snow surrounding lush pines as North Carolina stands in for a cold December city.
The Dog's Domain
How these standard ingredients coalesce into something enjoyable depends on the execution and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – those people who seek out for pet content. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The central draw is Merv himself, and even if it causes some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie delivers on canine party antics, dog depression, and, in the end, doggie joy.
Where It Wobbles
Such effectiveness does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a consistent feel. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe demanded of the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. The character comes across as a little too aloof, especially when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains a very good boy.)
The film attempts to provide depth to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, since Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup would feel more nuanced with more screen time and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – even if it's not exactly a brilliant concept.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform this December.
