When the news was announced that Jon Hamm was playing I.M. Fletcher, a character practically immortalized by Chevy Chase, I was not convinced. Hamm is a solid actor of the "Mad Men" variety and he can be very funny making fun of himself. However, as the intrepid investigative reporter of an L.A. newspaper who often uses various aliases in the hopes of finding the clues to a mystery, Hamm would not be my first choice. There has to be a sense that Fletch is in on the joke himself, that he is purposely a smart-aleck reporter, and a damn fine one if I say so my damn self. Of course, that was the direction aimed in the Chevy Chase incarnations, and that is not quite the depiction from the books. It turns out that laid-back Hamm is perfect for the role. It is also a damn fine movie if I say so my damn self.
Based on the second book in the "Fletch" series written by Gregory Mcdonald, "Confess, Fletch" finds Irwin (don't call him that) knee deep in trouble from the start when he finds a dead woman in the living room of the Boston townhouse he's staying in. The townhouse belongs to Fletch's Italian fiancee, Angela (Lorenza Izzo), yet Fletch (who mistakenly has his fingerprints on a wine bottle that serves as the murder weapon), is now the prime suspect in the murder. The Boston Police detective Monroe (Roy Wood Jr.) and rookie Griz (Ayden Mayeri) - both a hilarious pair - definitely suspect Fletch after the discovery of surveillance footage showing our retired reporter wearing a blue cap (though from the high camera angle, it is hard to tell if it is a L.A. Lakers hat). The culprit of said murder may tie in to Angela's unexpectedly kidnapped father and a ransom involving a priceless Picasso painting. Then we are introduced to a small gallery of eccentrics like Angela's mother, the Countess (the sublime Marcia Gay Harden); Fletch's clumsy next-door, pot-smoking neighbor (Annie Mumolo), and an art dealer named Horan (further sublimity provided by Kyle MacLachlan) who does some sort of workout to loud, techno music.
There is much more to the plot but the movie thrives successfully on contriving numerous situations with snappy payoffs. Written with quick wit and graceful, sharp notes of absurdity by director Greg Mottola and Zev Borow, "Confess, Fletch" maintains a breezy, informal comic tone throughout. It is not laugh-out loud funny like Chevy Chase's first "Fletch" film but rather it finds its own restrained humor through some histrionic performances and the murder mystery itself which keeps one guessing till the final reveal. Jon Hamm helps enormously with his daftness and poise as Fletch and he turns out to be smarter than anyone thought, though everyone thinks he's an idiot. Lorenza Izzo gets her manic act dialed up to soprana levels but it still works, and you keep hoping she's not a criminal (she loves Fletch after all). Marcia Gay Harden is bewitching and often captivating as the Countess - I love how she tests Fletch's fidelity.
Despite a couple of supporting characters that stuck in my craw, "Confess, Fletch" is a welcome return to good comic mystery writing and a great introduction to Gregory McDonald's novels. It is not on the same comic trajectory as Chevy Chase's 1985 flick but it flies by with comic precision and tight pacing. A damn fine movie, indeed.
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