🔗 Share this article

It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that sharing custody a canine companion following a split is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such situations hinder individuals from moving forward, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and are a nuisance across the board. Seemingly, as a development worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.

Not to downplay the inner life of dogs – many owners attest to their profound sensitivity. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by Gus the Dog, would struggle coping with life in two homes. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation holds water seems a questionable prospect.

Predictable Foundations

To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than what it is. It functions as a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the complexity are modest. Its storyline is destined to be uncomplicated: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – including familiar faces – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by obvious snow effects piled on lush pines as a summer location doubles as the Northeast.

The Dog's Domain

Whether these predictable parts coalesce into a pleasant experience depends on the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who browse regularly for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is Merv himself, and even if it causes some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.

Where It Wobbles

This level of success cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. He brings a charming humility that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal comes across as a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a scene-stealer.)

The story strives to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since the title character is easily the best part of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for the split would feel more grounded and mature with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though it's hardly a brilliant concept.

• Merv premieres on the Amazon platform starting December 10.