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It is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a dog following a split is a recipe for trouble. Experts frequently claim such situations hinder ex-partners from finding closure, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Apparently, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to experience sadness.

Without minimizing the emotional well-being of our pets – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. For a masterclass in canine melancholy, consider another performance. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to split households. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on such a setup holds water seems debatable at best.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be anything more than a light film. This is a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative unfolds as straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – played by a group of comedic actors – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. The film's look is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – as seen in fake snow surrounding verdant foliage as a summer location stands in for a wintery Boston.

The Dog's Domain

Whether these standard ingredients coalesce into something enjoyable rests upon the strength of the performances and one's taste for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the dog, and though it results in some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on walking sequences, pet moping, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.

The Two-Legged Cast

The same praise does not extend for the romantic plot. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a charming humility that supplies much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a touch too detached, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Gus the Dog succeeds in looking despondent – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still an excellent dog.)

The film attempts to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, since the title character is easily the best part of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their original breakup might seem more grounded and mature with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling every expected note. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a great one either.

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