Jon Hamm Succeeds in Bringing Fletch to a New Generation

Jon Hamm takes the comedic reins of Fletch in a hilarious whodunit loaded with wacky characters. Confess, Fletch has the wise-cracking former reporter framed for the murder of a young woman he’s never met. What begins as an art theft investigation in Rome leads to a bizarre series of events in Boston. Fletch has to clear his name, uncover the true killer, and continuously dodge a pair of pesky police detectives. Fans of the classic eighties Chevy Chase films and neophytes alike will be over the moon with this delightful new incarnation.

Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher (Hamm) checks into a luxury Boston townhouse and finds a nasty surprise. A woman (Caitlin Zerra Rose) lays bludgeoned to death on the living room floor. Police Inspector Monroe (Roy Wood Jr.) and his hapless assistant, Gris (Ayden Mayeri), doubt Fletch’s claim of innocence. His fingerprints are on the murder weapon. Fletch picked up a bottle of wine left for him on the rental counter. Someone has set him up. Fletch has an inkling why.

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A month earlier, Fletch flew to Rome to cover the theft of nine valuable paintings from Count De Grassi (Robert Picardo). He immediately falls for De Grassi’s beautiful daughter, Angela (Lorenza Izzo). Their whirlwind romance becomes more complex when the Count is kidnapped. The ransom demands a Picasso, one of the paintings stolen. Angela thinks her money-hungry stepmother, Sylvia aka the Countess (Marcia Gay Harden), is responsible for both crimes. Fletch decides to fly to Boston when two of the paintings end up at an auction by famed gallery owner Ronald Horan (Kyle MacLachlan). He soon discovers a plethora of suspects, including Angela and the Countess, embroiled in shady, possibly murderous business.

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Jon Hamm Nails Fletch’s Upbeat Spirit

Confess, Fletch brings the character’s trademark traits to a new generation. Fletch sports his lucky Lakers cap while impersonating various people to dig up clues. His shoeless pontificating annoys and disgusts the exasperated cops. Hamm has a different delivery than Chase’s more bombastic version but nails Fletch’s upbeat spirit. He doles out sarcastic jabs and witty comebacks like a champion boxer. Hamm also brings a wealth of charm. I can’t imagine anyone watching this film and not laughing at Fletch’s hysterical antics.

A banner supporting cast nearly steals the show. Director/writer Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) gives each character a goofy shtick that carries them through the film. Inspector Monroe’s always tired after failed attempts to self-soothe his newborn. MacLachlan’s art-dealing Horan is a germophobe who loves grooving to thumping EDM. He has a scene that almost brought me to tears chuckling. Mottola knows that half the fun of Fletch’s adventures are the assorted oddballs he encounters.

Confess, Fletch never loses sight of the mystery that drives the plot. There’s quite a bit of detail to solving the murder. Fletch is a sharp investigator who doesn’t leave any stone unturned. Answers don’t magically appear out of thin air. All signs point to him as the cold-blooded culprit. Fletch has to prove his gumshoe mettle or take the fall for a crime he didn’t commit.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the return of Fletch. Mottola and Hamm, who also produced, had the latitude to do anything. Fletch Lives came out in 1989. No one would have criticized them for updating a character that was last seen over thirty years ago. They stick to their Fletch guns and bring what made him so likable successfully to a new generation.

Confess, Fletch is a Miramax production. It will have a VOD and theatrical release on September 16th from Paramount Global Distribution Group, followed by an October 28th premiere on Showtime.

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