“Confess, Fletch” Movie Review

 

“Confess, Fletch”

Movie Review

"Confess, Fletch" is an American crime comedy film directed by Greg Mottola, who wrote the screenplay with Zev Borrow. Based on Gregory MacDonald's novel of the same name, it stars Hon Hamm, Lorenza Izzo, Marcia Gay Harden, Kyle MacLachlan, Roy Wood Jr., and John Slattery. This is the third installment in the Fletcher series.

Irwin M. "Fletch" Fletcher is sent from Italy to Boston by his girlfriend, Angela, where his father's multimillion-dollar paintings have been stolen and are in the hands of an American art dealer, Ronald Horan. Angela's father is an Italian millionaire who is kidnapped by a mob that demands his paintings for ransom.

When Fletch arrives at a rented townhouse in Boston, he finds a dead woman, later identified as Barista Laurel Goodwin. Despite calling the police, Fletch becomes the prime suspect in Goodwin's murder, and Sergeant Inspector Monroe and Junior Detective Chris of the Boston Police Department begin tracking Fletch.

Meanwhile, Fletch meets Horan and Tatiana under false names, and Fletch suspects that Tatiana is the ex-wife of townhouse owner Owen, the real killer. Fletch also meets Eva, Owen's neighbor, who tells him about Owen's dark personality. Meanwhile, Angela's stepmother, the Countess, invites her to stay with Fletch. Angela is not happy with this development, as she suspects that the Countess and her brother have kidnapped her father. She decides to move to Boston, where she first befriends the Countess.

At dinner that night, Fletch, the countess, and Angela are visited by Owen, Tatiana, Eve, and the boyfriend of the murder victim, who tries to kill Fletch. When the boyfriend is distracted by Eve's dog, Fletch grabs his gun and discovers that Angela knows and has been in contact with Owen. Angela leaves suddenly in the middle of the evening.

Fletch follows Angela and finds her meeting Horan on his ship. Fletch surmises that Angela stole the paintings and transferred them to sell to Horan. Horan pulls a gun and tries to kill Fletch, but is shot dead by Detective Chris.

It is revealed that Horan framed Fletch to kill Laurel Goodwin and remove him from the painting deal, and Horan planned to sell Angela's father's art to pay off the debt.

Angela's father, who has been in the Canary Islands since he was kidnapped, persuades Fletch to come back and keep the paintings. From an undisclosed location in Latin America, Fletch sends a sketch to his former employer Eve, two street artists, and a check to the dead girl's boyfriend.

Admit it, ‘Confess, Fletch’ isn't any funnier than we think. Most of its jokes are better written than performed and taken straight from MacDonald's books. While Hamm's delivery is flawless, it doesn't spend enough time turning that chippiness into something sharp. Marcia Gay Harden's Countess is pure schlock, not the good kind, while Kyle MacLachlan as shady art dealer Ronald Horan is a bit Scooby Doo. Director Mottola, a famous comedy director who deserves a place in the annals of history, relies heavily on levity. It prevents dramatic highs and lows and wastes an otherwise surprisingly complex story. Regardless of these misguided ways, confess, we should all be grateful that Confess, Fletch actually exists. Its twinkling star once again reminded us of his willingness to overcome it.

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