Confess, Fletch (2022) * *

 

Directed by: Greg Mottola

Starring:  Jon Hamm, Roy Wood Jr., Marcia Gay Harden, Lorenza Izzo, Kyle MacLachlan, Annie Mumolo, Ayden Mayeri, John Slattery

Confess, Fletch might not have ever had a chance of working because we identify so vividly with Chevy Chase from the 1985 film and its 1989 sequel.   Chase handled the role of investigative reporter "of some repute" I. M. Fletcher with wry cynicism and droll voiceover narration.   The screenplays played to Chase's strengths and although he was a wiseacre, on occasion things did bother him like his ex-wife and getting shot at, and he was funny.  Confess, Fletch and Jon Hamm's characterization sadly are not.   Hamm tries, but never finds his rhythm with the role.   He plays Fletch as detached, so much so that it seems like he was flown in from another film... a better one hopefully.   The jokes fall flat and there is no voiceover narration.  Confess, Fletch plays like a routine, low energy whodunit.   

We have a sense Hamm was trying too hard to make us forget about Chase and the movie wasn't trying hard enough.   The plot, involving Fletch's girlfriend's father's missing paintings and Fletch himself being framed for a murder, almost dares us to care about it.   Fletch is a murder suspect but he hardly seems to notice.   He playfully deals with the detectives on the case (Wood Jr. and Mayeri) while also trying to solve the crime.   Nothing seems to faze this version of Fletch.   If he doesn't give a hoot, why should we?   Confess, Fletch is the textbook definition of "meh".  

The best scenes involve Fletch and his former newspaper boss (Slattery) meeting up and trying to top one another in the deadpan cynicism department.   Slattery and Hamm were, of course, former co-stars of Mad Men so it's great to seem them together again.   They have strong chemistry, which can't be said for Hamm and the rest of the actors.   There are some great character actors (including Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden) present in the movie, but they don't say or do anything memorable.   I don't know if Hamm's characterization is closer to what MacDonald intended, but Chevy Chase casts a shadow far too large for Hamm to escape it.