Confess, Fletch review: Jon Hamm finally finds a great comedy role

With a new springtime mystery comedy confession, fletch, Jon Hamm faces his biggest acting challenge yet, playing a man who despises shoes.Indeed, the man who became famous as Don Draper mad men He’s not always as well-dressed in the movies as he was in that near-perfect show. confession, fletch, as “reputable investigative reporter” Erwin Maurice Fletcher, he strays farther from Hamm’s smooth image than usual. Ham played a goofy role in a cameo, saturday night live Sketched, he parodied his own image as Gabriel good omenIn the movies, however, he doesn’t smile, tends to be tired, and is often a bit menacing. confession, fletchhe takes off his shoes and socks at every opportunity and makes pet issues out of what he sees as society’s pro-footwear propaganda — all because he’s suspected of murder.

A running gag about Fletch’s constant bare feet is confession, fletch Saddle the lead actor with material that his comedic instincts find a little too funny to sell. Otherwise, the film is a belated movie star turn for performers who tend to pick and choose supporting roles rather than pursue George Clooney-style television-to-film fame. Maybe Hamm’s film career wasn’t really as well-dressed as it seemed. Maybe I’m just lacking insight.

Mottola has previously directed Hamm in a little-seen but funny comedy. catch up with jonesThere, the star leaned into his male image, playing a super spy who poses as the suburban neighbor of a truly mediocre couple played by Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher. Jones There are slapstick action sequences that mark this kind of neighborly comedy. confession, fletch Moves at a more relaxed tempo, suitable for both ham and mottra. After flying to the United States from an excursion in Rome (and a whirlwind romance), Fletch arrives at the Boston townhouse he rented on his behalf, where he finds a dead body.

He immediately calls the police, but that doesn’t clear his suspicions. His honest but overly flippant response to interrogation tests the patience of otherwise obstinate cop Detective Monroe (Roy Wood Jr.). Warned to stay away from the murder, Fletch begins an amateur investigation while also trying to locate a priceless painting for his new girlfriend Angela (Lorenzaizzo). As befits a comic mystery, colorful characters pop in and out of the story.

confession, fletch Based on the novel of the same name by Gregory MacDonald and part of a long-running book series. Comedy fans may remember the well-received 1980s comedy with Chevy Chase as Fletch (fletch) and one unpopular sequel (fletch lives). Since then, many actors and directors have considered rebooting the character, with the Abortive Fletch project toying with casting Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Zach Braff, and/or Jason Sudeikis. .

The way Hamm’s series revival has received a middling dual release in some theaters and VOD suggests just how low Miramax’s faith in the project is. I’m saying It’s fast and funny – the sort of comedy that adult moviegoers have seen far more often than it does today, comedies falling out of favor in the cinematic world devoted to Liam his Neeson his style of revenge movies. but confession, fletch The use of comedy is refreshing, as is the use of Jon Hamm.

Mottola (who also created it) super bad When adventure land) has a knack for shooting comedy as if it were a real movie, rather than an overly lit sitcom. We never sacrifice visual humor for aesthetics. His work with cinematographer Sam Levy has a dim glow, but there’s a fuss-free stability to the cuts and reaction shots that reminds me that Steven’s Soderbergh is in more deadpan mode. Sometimes a movie can keep its plot more distant and be a little more extravagant in its atmosphere. long goodbyeor with that weird cartoon character, big lebowskiAgain, some of the film’s wider interludes fall a little flat. Mostly, it’s Marcia Gay Harden’s role as Angela’s cartoon-accented mother, an irrepressible character who could be a little more repressed.

Photo: Miramax

Hamm, on the other hand, seems to be on Mottola’s wavelength. He realizes that finding common ground between mystery and farce may be more important than scoring individual jokes. In this film, he proves as capable of reacting to the slapstick stupidity and stupidity of his co-stars as he does. bridesmaid Writer and actor Annie Mumolo bounces off him in one scene. He can also handle jokes and irreverence without turning into a Ryan Reynolds-style smart machine (“The emergency part is over,” he tells the police about the murder).

Hamm’s film career was largely in the shadow of his stellar long run as Don Draper. confession, fletch It’s not designed to change that. In fact, Mottola even went so far as to engineer a brief, crackling reunion with Hamm. mad men Co-starring John Slattery. The director’s willingness to proactively remind viewers of Hamm’s television masterpiece, even when the star wears a Lakers hat and unravels obscure mysteries, even if other directors mostly participate. It suggests Mottola’s confidence in Hamm’s comedic appeal, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Mottola and Hamm do not appear to be trying to rewrite Hamm for Fletch’s image, nor vice versa. They seem to be making exactly the kind of half-silly, half-cunning movie that you personally want to see.

confession, fletch will have a limited release in theaters on September 16th, and will be available the same day on demand or via premium digital rental. Amazon When budu.