Confess, Fletch is the story of Irwin M. Fletcher (Jon Hamm), a former investigative reporter of some repute. Currently, Fletch finds himself embroiled in no less than three questionable plots. First, he’s been tasked by his girlfriend Angela (Lorenza Izzo) to find a cache of rare, valuable paintings that belonged to her father. Second, said father in question has been kidnapped and many suspect that his wife The Countess (Marcia Gay Harden) has something to do with it. And third, Fletch recently came home to his apartment to find it occupied with a murdered young woman.
What works in Confess, Fletch is Jon Hamm’s performance and the comedic balance. Some may remember the two other adaptations of Gregory Mcdonald’s novels starring Chevy Chase (Fletch, Fletch Lives) from the 1980s. In contrast with his predecessor, Hamm’s version of the character is less silly and more grounded. For example, while this Fletch has no issue with assuming other identities, he never dons any ridiculous wigs or attempts accents. Instead, this Fletch is endlessly charming and his greatest asset is letting people underestimate him. Hamm consistently plays it straight amidst a cast of almost over-the-top characters, asking questions and then letting others incriminate themselves. The result is a laugh-out-loud comedy full of fun that borders on absurdity, but never quite crosses the line thanks to Hamm’s restraint.
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Audiences who prefer their murder mysteries on the serious side may not enjoy Confess, Fletch as much as others. For the sake of humor, many of the individuals Fletch encounters are walking caricatures. A prime of example of this is Harden’s Countess who oscillates between seducing every person she encounters, and screaming incoherently in Italian. Another character is so high all the time, she doesn’t notice almost repeatedly burning down her apartment. Some people might find these tropes eye-roll inducing. Also, individuals may feel the ending is a bit convoluted. No spoilers here, but some of the connections and coincidences are tenuous at best—even an exasperated Fletch exclaims that things would have been much less complicated had others practiced effective communication.
Confess, Fletch is light, breezy entertainment. The style of comedy is the equivalent of a warm blanket, primarily thanks to Hamm’s charisma.
Confess, Fletch is now available through premium streaming video services and will be available on Showtime starting October 28th.
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