Confess, Fletch: Jon Hamm breathes new life, swagger into Chevy Chase’s cult character

Confess, Fletch (M, 99mins) Directed by Greg Mottola ****

It was one of the surprise hits of 1985.

Sure Fletch was an adaptation of a popular literary series, but no one expected the Chevy Chase-headlining comedic thriller to not only earn more in the US than his far more high-profile sequel National Lampoon’s European Vacation, but also the latest Bond film – A View to a Kill.

While international audiences were perhaps a little slower to catch on, it eventually became a cult hit in countries like New Zealand, in hot demand at video stores nationwide as word of it being a guaranteed good-night-in spread.

Inevitably, an inferior sequel – Fletch Lives – followed four years later, failing to recapture the zest and zip of the original and over-egging Chase’s trademark brand of smug silliness (something so brilliantly balanced the first time out). As the Los Angeles Times’ Chris Willman beautifully put it, “some of the lines are funny, but after a while you just want to smack him”.

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Since then, Hollywood has constantly been searching for a way to revive the character to take advantage of the longstanding love for Gregory Mcdonald’s tales. Jason Lee, Zac Braff and Jason Sudeikis have all been mooted at various times, but now finally, more than three decades later, Irwin Maurice Fletcher is back – in the form of former Mad Men star Jon Hamm.

A skilfully updated adaptation of Mcdonald’s 1976 award-winning book of the same name, the second of his nine novels to feature the intrepid investigative reporter, Confess, Fletch opens with our man arriving at his Boston accommodation only to find a dead woman spread out on the carpet.

Calmly courtesy calling the local authorities (“Can you tell homicide? They like murders, they’ll be interested,” he tells the duty officer), he ingratiates himself with investigating officer Sergeant Inspector Morris Munroe (Roy Wood Jr.) via a succession of glib observations and a suggestion that, with his background, he could assist in solving the case.

“I used to play the trumpet in high school, I never offered advice to Miles Davis…shut up and talk,” Munroe fumes.

“That’s a very confusing combination of commands,” is Fletch’s instant, potentially infuriating reply.

We quickly learn that, having given up on investigative reporting because “it’s a vocation that’s been cheapened by the digital age – like the President”, Fletch is now on a mission to hunt down a series of stolen paintings. Initially hired by the Count de Grassi (Robert Picardo), things have recently become complicated by both Fletch falling in love with his daughter Angela (Lorenza Izzo) and the Count himself being kidnapped.

While Angela suspects the newly minted, gold-digging Contessa (Marcia Gay Harden) is behind the plot, Fletch isn’t so sure, but knows that in order to either solve the theft, or ensure the safe return of the count, he’ll have to track down the alleged current owner of one of the artworks – a potentially priceless Picasso.

What follows is a carefully crafted action-comedy filled with colourful characters, memorable set-pieces, a crowd-pleasing swagger and pithy one-liners that all builds nicely to a terrific kitchen-set climax where all the players gather for a final showdown/reveal.

Director and co-writer Greg Mottola (Adventureland, Superbad) ensures that neither the pace nor Hamm’s seemingly endless quips ever slacken, while generating just enough mystery to keep you guessing as to what’s actually transpired (and how the initial murder fits in) until those final frames.

At the centre of it all, though, is a fabulous performance from Hamm. While still suggesting a certain likeable fallibility, his Fletch seems more believable as a potential lothario than Chase’s ever did, even if the women here are – thankfully – far more resistant to his charms (which include being barefoot wherever possible).

Disappointing denied a cinema release, except for a very limited run in the US, this is an entertaining romp that deserves to not only find an audience – but also at least a shot at a follow-up.

Confess, Fletch is now available to rent from iTunes, GooglePlay, Neon, AroVision, Academy OnDemand, Lumiere Online and YouTube.