Jon Hamm hasn’t found many functions to rival their breakthrough “Mad Men” part, and “Confess, Fletch” definitely doesn’t either. However this refreshed version of the smart-alecky character Chevy Chase played in the 1980s has a certain breezy charm, not worthy of rushing to a theater but hardly the waste of your digital-viewing time.
Working from Gregory Mcdonald’s books, as adapted by director Greg Mottola (who individuals Hamm on the mostly forgettable “Keeping Up With the particular Joneses” ) and co-writer Zev Borow, the movie casts Hamm since the barely employed investigative reporter who passes that strange play name, drawn into a murder-mystery on behalf of his fascinating Italian girlfriend, Angela (Lorenza Izzo).
Angela’s wealthy father has gone missing, raising queries both about what happened to him as well as the whereabouts of invaluable paintings that he owned. Fletch thus travels to Boston, in which he encounters an unconventional assortment of characters, often leaving Hamm about what amounts to a straight-man role, with a wide range of arched eyebrows and quizzical looks.
The particular supporting players supply much of the enjoyable, from former “Mad Men” co-star Bob Slattery as their cranky, foul-mouthed previous editor to Marcia Gay Harden as Angela’s breathy stepmother, who keeps requiring that she will not sleep with Fletch no matter how many times he doesn’t ask the girl. Plus, there’s Kyle MacLachlan as an artwork dealer with his own set of tics plus quirks.
Who did what is actually quite irrelevant, with the mystery – which quickly turns Fletch into a suspect in the eyes of the irritated cops (Roy Wood Junior., Ayden Mayeri), therefore the title – taking a back seat to the overall environment.
“Confess, Fletch” does not possess a whole lot of heft, but it manages to serve as an old-fashioned and lively star vehicle, making out a version of the character that’s special from Chase’s broader, more slapstick-oriented consider. There are also small but playful touches, like Fletch wearing La lakers gear in, you understand, Boston.
Fletch might not really have any reason to confess, but on that humble level, the movie qualifies as a not-so-guilty enjoyment.
“Confess, Fletch” premieres in US theaters and on digital platforms on September 16. It’s rated R.