This is a widely held belief for numerous people that sharing custody a dog post-separation is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such situations prevent individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to experience sadness.
Without minimizing the mental health of animals – countless people speak of their deep emotional capacity. If you need masterclass in canine melancholy, consider another performance. There is little doubt that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult coping with split households. If this concept a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable remains rather doubtful.Predictable Foundations
Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by 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 is limited. Its storyline is destined to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – as seen in flurries piled on verdant foliage as a summer location substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Dog's Domain
How these familiar elements come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, finally, doggie joy.
The Two-Legged Cast
This level of success cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The tone shifts uneasily between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and physical comedy, not quite landing any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the dog resort scenario. He brings a charming humility that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a touch too detached, particularly when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, the canine performer succeeds in flopping and whining – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a scene-stealer.)
The story strives to give weight to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, since the title character is easily the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The cause for the split would feel more grounded and mature with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting all its marks. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting has potential – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.
- Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform this December.
