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This is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that jointly caring for a pet following a split is ill-advised. Most will argue such setups prevent former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. As it turns out, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the canine in question to experience sadness.

While respecting the inner life of our pets – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. If you need standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look another performance. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adapting to life in two homes. If this concept an entire Christmas romance around this situation holds water seems a questionable prospect.

Standard Holiday Fare

Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than a light film. This is a holiday release from a corporate studio – the depth is limited. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will presumably realize the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. Visually has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – as seen in obvious snow effects piled on verdant foliage as a warm climate stands in for the Northeast.

The Dog's Domain

Whether these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience rests upon the execution and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.

The Two-Legged Cast

The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style wavers between serious study, zany antics, formulaic romance, and silly gags, never fully committing to a consistent feel. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a touch too detached, especially when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, the canine performer manages looking despondent – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he remains an excellent dog.)

The story strives to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, considering the dog is by far the best part of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their separation might seem more adult and realistic with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting all its marks. Making a film about dog co-parenting is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.

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