Before ‘Mad Men’ shaped his public image as that of a complicated gallant man, John Hamm was often seen in the field of comedy, being very funny in a role that Chris Hemsworth would later exploit as a handsome goofball. The success of the series killed that aspect almost definitively, focusing his career on failed projects where he tried to be the robust star to go, little by little, becoming typecast as an FBI figure on duty in different thrillers.
Her forays into comedy were very, very sporadic, and they no longer had the same charm as they were already goofy. And he could no longer go back to the elegant gentleman in dramas, because those films already barely have space and would earn unnecessary comparisons. However, the best work of his since then seems to find a sweet spot between both worldsalthough unfortunately it is a project in a complex existential situation: ‘Confess, Fletch‘.
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Originally born in a series of mystery and investigation novels with a comic point of Gregory McDonald, the character of Fletch was originally brought to the screen by Chevy Chase in the eighties in what may be his most iconic film. ‘fletch the chameleon‘ and, to a much lesser extent, ‘fletch revives‘ left aside the touch of mystery to emphasize the charlatan and cheeky character that was going that neither painted to Chase.
Movies that certainly seemed like an extension of his Saturday Night Live work and that launched his leap as a movie star. Also relics of a past that are now more intellectual property to be exploited by studios in their need to create content for their fringe streaming platforms. This is the case of a Paramount that gave the green light to this reboot that concerns us today, intended primarily for its platform and having a marginal simultaneous release in theaters in the United States.
By not having either one or the other here, ‘Confess, Fletch’ reaches rental platforms such as Filmin or Movistar+ with the same discretion as its American premiere, seen with prejudice as another attempt to create an impossible franchise. However, view shows that all prejudices were wrong. There’s a terrific film that eschews any comparison to Chase’s hits entirely, offering something different in today’s comedy and featuring a fresh and inspired Hamm.
Because the commercial intention of the studio should not be confused with the artistic one. Here Greg Mottola, who had previously excelled in a hilarious youth comedy with ‘Superbad’ and ‘Adventureland’, here offers an interesting change of record. Taking more from McDonald’s original novels, he makes a elegant piece of mystery and comedywhich is hilarious while still having your pants buttoned up.
The Fletch from ‘Speak up, Fletch’ is facing a murder charge. When he arrives from a fabulous trip through Italy, he finds a crime scene in his apartment where all the evidence points to him, and he will have to investigate what is behind all this while using his garrulous character to get the police to give him margin. Thus, he begins an investigation with fewer disguises but the same hard face, coming across various characters and situations from which he emerges with both wit and cheek.
‘Fess up, Fletch’: a sophisticated and deliciously silly comedy
Hamm is superb in this new interpretation of the character, and he manages to be perfectly in tune with the tone. Fine and classy, but without fear of the bizarre and goofy. It’s a dangerous middle ground, but both actor and director strike gold there and never falter. He is intelligent and sophisticated in his way of framing the crime, but always find the space to put the goofy jokethe crazy joke, either with a witty line of dialogue or with an excellent counterpart in another actor.
It is also delicious to see established and varied actors like Kyle MacLachlan, Marcia Gay Harden, Annie Mumolo or John Slattery countering Hamm, creating a motley game that’s always fun to follow. It’s a better skeleton than the pure mystery part of the plot, which has its ups and downs but never loses that pocket novel spirit that makes the movie something endearing and that falls very nice.
But you don’t need half-hearted compliments, either. ‘Fess up, Fletch’ is one of the best pure comedies of recent years, offering a fresh approach while still being hilarious. It finds the humor wonderful while still being stylish, and offers the best vehicle for its lead actor’s charisma that has been seen in a while. It shouldn’t go under the radar and, of course, it would be a shame not to have a sequel with films that maintain that special dynamic, as light as it is skillfully made. We should have one of these a year.