Imagine that there is a community theater company in some small town in America and for their next production they have decided to take on one of the Fletch novels. The troup actually does a decent job with the production - the actors can believably say the lines and you get a whiff of the classic character played by Chevy Chase. And that's great, if you are expecting to see a community theater production of Fletch. On the big screen? Yikes. From Jon Hamm's quiet and uneventful portrayal of Fletch to Marcia Gay Harden sometimes putting on an accent, this movie is bad. Chase's portrayal of a greasy yet charismatic detective is the gold standard. To Hamm's credit he wasn't trying to do an imitation of Chase. The problem is something that I've thought of him for a long time: he has zero on-screen charisma. If you hear an interview with him he comes across as a smarty, funny and engaging guy. On the screen? Unless he is playing a stern character there is just nothing there. The editing surely didn't help - at times it felt like characters were having a conversation at two different times and they were spliced together. The whole thing was mediocre.

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I went into this film virtually blind, knowing only that it was a who-done-it starring Jon Hamm. It seems the who-done-it genre has seen a resurgence of late, with two currently playing in theaters (this film and _See How They Run (2022)_). I suspect that the success of _Knives Out (2019)_ has something to do with that, as I certainly was hoping this film would scratch the same itch as Daniel Craig's southern drawl detective film. While this film doesn't have quite the same vibe, I still loved it.

The biggest thing to point out is the comedy. I was surprised at how much I was laughing during the first half hour of this movie. The writing is clever and Jon Hamm is absolutely hilarious. Seeing his character bounce off of the consistently quirky ensemble cast leads to some fantastic scenes and exchanges. Detective Monroe and Griz in particular are consistently great. The flighty neighbor also provides an almost slapstick set piece and of course seeing Jon Hamm reunite with his _Mad Men (2007)_ co-star John Slattery was a treat.

Regarding the who-done-it aspect, this film is not as clever as _Knives Out (2019)_, but the mystery was compelling enough to keep me invested, and seeing Fletch problem solve was just another opportunity for comedy. I will say that the ending was a tad underwhelming, but nothing so problematic as to detract from the rest.

As a side note, I didn't learn that Fletch was a pre-existing character until after I saw this film. While I may go back and watch the Chevy Chase originals, I suspect that going into this one blind actually contributed to my enjoyment, as recycled jokes/ideas landed as fresh for me, rather than nostalgia bait callbacks.

I really enjoyed this film. It was funny and campy and Hamm was great. It was fun and didn't take itself too seriously.

There may be a movie here, but you won't be able to see it.

This is one of those movies where the advent of HDR had the crew go, "Well, let's turn off all the lights and fire the post-production crew."

In other words, it's impossible to see what's going on. Absolutely unwatchable.

**By: Louisa Moore / www.ScreenZealots.com**

I tend to be skeptical when it comes to a studio reboot of a film franchise, but “Confess, Fletch” breathes fresh, new life into the series. Based on the Gregory Mcdonald books, the movie sees Jon Hamm stepping into the role that was made famous in the mid-80s by Chevy Chase. The result is a sharp and clever elevated murder mystery for adults.

Investigative journalist Irwin Fletcher (Jon Hamm) is always getting himself into trouble. This time, he becomes the prime suspect in a murder case while searching for the truth behind a stolen multi-million dollar art collection. In order to prove his innocence to a veteran police detective (Roy Wood Jr.), Fletch must eliminate the long list of suspects. He uses his skills to seek out and question a missing playboy (John Behlmann), a Countess (Marcia Gay Harden), an eccentric germophobe art dealer (Kyle MacLachlan), a wacky bohemian neighbor (Annie Mumolo), and even his own Italian girlfriend (Lorenza Izzo) on his quest to uncover the real culprit.

Director Greg Mottola (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Zev Borrow) nails the tone of the original “Fletch” films without making his project feel like a cheap wannabe rip-off. Gone are the goofy disguises made so popular in the 80s films, and Hamm’s version of Fletch captures the charming arrogance of Mcdonald’s literary character. Fletch’s unorthodox methods are still in play, yet he’s not portrayed as a bumbling idiot.

In peak laid back mode, Hamm reaches near perfection in the lead role as the resourceful and witty reporter. It’s a performance that I want to see more of in the future, and that bodes well for subsequent sequels. Hamm’s charisma serves him well in his flawless delivery of the script’s one-line zingers, and his comedic timing is precise yet natural. Those who have a low tolerance for snarky, smart humor will likely be more annoyed than entertained, however.

I was surprised just how much I enjoyed “Confess, Fletch.” It’s so much better than anyone could have ever expected, the supporting cast is terrific, the mystery is entertaining (if ultimately predictable), and the humor is on point. In other words, it’s a lot of fun.