There is little reason to care whether or not these people get their paintings back. The mystery is tangled but not in a way that would make unraveling it interesting. Aside from the possibility that Fletch will go down for murder, the web of lies, suspects, and motives is not very compelling. What Doesn’t: The weakest element of Confess, Fletch is the mystery itself. These actors are tasked with delivering a lot of information but do so while engaging in physical comedy and personal ticks that are funny and specific to their character. These offbeat characters punch up what would otherwise be a straightforward mystery and Confess, Fletch is a good example of presenting exposition and laying clues in a way that is visually interesting. The film also has an assortment of unusual supporting characters including an Italian countess played by Marcia Gay Harden, a shady art dealer played by Kyle MacLachlan, and a wacky neighbor played by Annie Mumolo. Confess, Fletch is consistently funny with nearly every punchline finding its laugh. Fletch is very glib but he’s also clumsy in an endearing way and Hamm captures both of those qualities. Jon Hamm takes over the title role and Hamm is perfectly cast. The Fletch stories are fundamentally hardboiled detective fiction but they are also really funny and it is in that respect that Confess, Fletch succeeds. Confess, Fletch reboots the film series with an adaptation of Mcdonald’s second Fletch novel and the filmmakers bring a fresh approach to the series while remaining true to the spirit of the character. The character had previously been brought to the screen in a pair of films starring Chevy Chase and released in 1985 and ’89. What Works: Fletch is the central character from a series of mystery novels published in the 1970s and 80s. He tries to prove his innocence while investigating a stolen art collection. Former investigative reporter Fletch (Jon Hamm) is framed for murder.

Premise: Based on Gregory Mcdonald’s novel.

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