MIDNIGHT REVIEWS Confess, Fletch
Midnight Reviews features reviews and thought pieces written and edited by a parent, at night, after bedtime.
Confess, Fletch (1hr 38mins)
Directed by: Greg Mottola
Featuring: Jon Hamm, Caitlin Zerra Rose, Roy Wood Jr.
Synopsis: Former investigative reporter Fletch (Hamm) must prove his innocence after becoming the prime suspect in a murder investigation, whilst simultaneously searching for his girlfriend’s stolen art collection.
Review: Fletch is a dying breed. A former investigative reporter, he doesn’t do things for the money or even the acclaim. He seems to do things purely from being centred in a way that could be described as spiritual, but it’s probably more accurate to say he simply has his priorities in order.
In the same way, Confess, Fletch is a dying breed. A mid-level budget with no high concepts or Oscar bait to speak of, it’s a travesty that more movies like this aren’t made and that Confess, Fletch fell by the wayside on release. If it does the same since its home release it would be a significant disappointment and, frankly, an indictment of our times.
The fun is watching Fletch make his way through the mists of the case.
Based on two previous entries in the Fletch series, this is the first to not feature star Chevy Chase, he of notorious behind the scenes working relationships so numerous the stories simply have to be believed. Hamm replaces him here and plays Fletch with just enough of a Chase inflection whilst still infusing the character with enough of his own patented charm. The character, and the movie, really are very funny.
Fletch isn’t the only character with his own comical beats. Each new character the film introduces seems more bizarre than the others. Mottola, McDonald and Borow’s script doesn’t seem content with bland basics to get by, populated as it is by detectives knee deep in sleep training, a hilariously cartoonish neighbour and a security guard who doesn’t know the meaning of the phrase ‘over sharing’.
With all these characters, it’s delightful that the script also manages to juggle two mysteries. Despite the easy charm of Mottola’s direction, the film works hard enough to ensure the two tracks of each mystery are always clear. The twist that a certain character is involved in one of the crimes, and that both crimes would inevitably be linked, can be seen coming from the opening minutes. This doesn’t matter though; the fun is watching Fletch make his way through the mists of the case.
When the solutions do present themselves and Fletch walks off into the sunset, the film ends leaving a sense of serene joy at having spent an hour and a half in such a charming, cheerful story. “Five stars!”
Confess, Fletch is available to stream on Netflix, appearing on its front page for five minutes.
Matthew D. Smith likes to overshare his views on movies and TV shows whenever and wherever he can. Indulge him, and follow him on Twitter or listen to the podcast he co-hosts with Leslie Wai.
