Confess, Fletch

Adapted from Gregory McDonald’s series of books, Confess, Fletch follows wisecracking investigative reporter Irwin Fletcher (Jon Hamm) as he finds himself caught in the middle of a murder investigation and high-profile robbery. Filmmaker Greg Mottola, working from his and Zev Borow’s script, delivers an erratic yet mostly rewarding comedy that benefits substantially from Hamm’s superb, magnetic efforts, as the actor turns in an endlessly charming performance that goes a long way towards compensating for the narrative’s sporadic bumps and lulls – with the actor’s spellbinding work matched (and enhanced) by a top-notch supporting cast that includes Marcia Gay Harden, Kyle MacLachlan, and John Slattery . It’s clear, then, that Confess, Fletch’s inability to achieve complete liftoff is due almost entirely to its hit-and-miss storyline, as Mottola offers up a convoluted mystery that’s rarely, if ever, as compelling as one might’ve anticipated (and hoped) – which, in turn, paves the way for a meandering midsection that’s only sporadically effective. (Fletch’s encounter with an exceedingly loopy neighbor, Annie Mumolo’s Eve, stands as the picture’s sole wholeheartedly spellbinding sequence.) By the time the decent-enough climax rolls around, Confess, Fletch has cemented its place as a watchable piece of work that rarely lives up to the impact of Hamm’s completely satisfying turn.

*** out of ****