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This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a pet following a split is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such setups prevent individuals from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to become depressed.

While respecting the inner life of animals – countless people speak of their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, one need only look a past film. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adapting to life in two homes. The idea of basing a full holiday film on such a setup holds water remains rather doubtful.

Standard Holiday Fare

Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than what it is. It functions as a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the ambitions remains surface-level. The plot unfolds as straightforward: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will surely realize the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – including a group of comedic actors – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look has the quality of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – exemplified by obvious snow effects clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina substitutes for a wintery Boston.

The Canine Charisma

If these familiar elements come together into a pleasant experience depends on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some stilted moments between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.

The Two-Legged Cast

Such effectiveness does not extend for the romantic plot. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, zany antics, predictable love story, and silly gags, failing to master a consistent feel. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a bit too dry, particularly when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a very good boy.)

The film attempts to provide depth to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is undoubtedly the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The cause for their original breakup might seem more grounded and mature with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting every expected note. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.

• Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.