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It is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a dog post-separation is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such situations prevent former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. As it turns out, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.

While respecting the inner life of animals – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. To witness a prime example in pet despair, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adapting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a full holiday film around this situation works effectively seems debatable at best.

Standard Holiday Fare

Honestly, Merv, written by the writing duo and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. It functions as a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the ambitions is limited. The narrative unfolds as uncomplicated: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – played by familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – as seen in fake snow surrounding green trees as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.

Where the Film Shines

If these standard ingredients come together into a pleasant experience depends on the actors' work and an acceptance of comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – those people who seek out for pet content. The film delivers a series of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing walking sequences, canine sorrow, and, in the end, doggie joy.

The Two-Legged Cast

This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. Its style shifts uneasily between serious study, zany antics, predictable love story, and physical comedy, not quite landing a consistent feel. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog manages looking despondent – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a scene-stealer.)

The story strives to provide depth to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, given that the title character is easily the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The cause for their separation would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting all its marks. Making a film with this canine conflict is not terrible – but it's not exactly a brilliant concept.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform on December 10th.