OUT NOW: Confess, Fletch

Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher (Jon Hamm), a former investigative journalist, gets on the wrong side of the law when he finds a body at the house he is staying at.

Simultaneously, he is trying to track down some missing paintings belonging to his girlfriend's father.

Could the two strands be connected?

The third adaptation of Gregory McDonald’s novels, Confess, Fletch almost snuck in under my radar. It has been given a very small theatrical release, and thankfully is available for streaming.

Hopefully, the maths is good so director Greg Mottola and co. can make another one, because this movie is a romp in the best sense of the word.

I have never read any of the books - my only familiarity with Fletch comes from the 1985 film starring Chevy Chase.

On its own merits, Confess, Fletch is great fun.

Right from the opening scene, as Fletch discovers the body, there is a sense of ease about the whole enterprise.

There is a sense of control and understanding of tone that immediately lets you know what kind of movie this is.

The script is tight - the mystery is intriguing but not over-complicated, and the focus remains on Fletch and his relationships with the other characters. It feels so loose and relaxed - it is so hard to do that without a strong foundation.

And what a relief to watch a potential franchise starter that also feels like a complete story. There is no info dump to build Fletch’s personality or history - we learn everything we need to as the movie progresses. 

This is a movie that trusts the intelligence of its audience.

And now to the leading man.

I have not seen Jon Hamm in many things.

I watched a couple of seasons of Mad Men but none of his prior lead roles. I have caught quite a bit of the critical reception to his big screen work, and came away with the sense that he is either miscast by filmmakers or he himself does not what he is suited for.

This general consensus played more of a role in my viewing than prior knowledge of his work.

That is a long winded way of saying I think he is well-cast here.

Hamm is always high status and Fletch is someone with more confidence than sense.

He always carries an air of scepticism, and seems slightly uncomfortable in his own skin.

Those qualities feed into this performance - Fletch is someone who is constantly trying to prove himself, and obsessed with the past.

And unlike Chevy Chase, Hamm actually reacts to the danger he is in.

As far as the rest of the cast, Lorenza Izzo is solid as Fletch’s love interest. It could be a thankless role, but the character far smarter - and refreshingly - more interested in pursuing her own goals than catering to her beau. 

Roy Wood Jr. provides deadpan support as the lead detective on Fletch’s case, and Ayden Mayeri provides the biggest laughs as the rookie cop who does all the legwork to stay on Fletch’s tail. Fellow mad man John Slattery also appears as Fletch’s former/long-suffering editor.

This movie is not a blockbuster designed to dominate the cinematic landscape - this is a modest potboiler based on intrigue and interesting characters. I really hope they make another one of these because this is a franchise I would like to return to.

Worst-case scenario, it leads a few more people like myself to crack open one of the original books.