"Confess, Fletch" - Review

Investigative journalist Irwin M. Fletcher (Jon Hamm) is renting a house in Boston, and upon returning to it discover the corpse of a young woman in the living room. Immediately calling the police (who are perplexed as to why he is reporting his own rather obvious crime), our sharp-talking journo investigates what the hell is going on and who is trying to frame him...

This movie is electrifying script-work on display. Matching its protagonist's razor wit and rapid-fire neurons, it is a throwback to 50s screwball comedies of old, akin to something like "His Girl Friday" or fellow throwback and favourite of mine "Big Trouble in Little China". Every scene is a rapid-fire joke-fest, and not simply quips or put-downs but genuinely witty wordplay, interplay, barbs and verbal spouts. It's a fine return to form for Greg Mottola (director of "Superbad" and "Adventureland"), and for comedies in general: relying on wit and rapport rather than awkward improv and just a breath of fresh air. It's tightly paced, well-written, and the sheer number of jokes (not seen since "Booksmart") mean that it never flags or falters, and if you don't like one then then next will likely land. Or more accurately, as you are halfway through giggling your tits off at one, you'll miss the set-up of the next and try to calm yourself just in time for the next zinger. It goes along so rapidly and wonderfully that I forgot Robert Picardo was credited in this until he showed up, you have to be a great movie to do that.
Hamm is wonderful in this, and very much not Chevy Chase: which makes him 10x better for any project, including being Chevy Chase.
Izzo is great fun and always welcome in movies, and Marcia Gay Harden has been soreley missed in movies: here playing a deliciously campy Italian countess. Cameos and supporting parts aplenty have fun (Kyle MacLachlan is an art dealer who has raves to EDM in his house, which may make this the best film of the year), and whilst there is a funny role for Annie Mumolo as a stoner neighbour (who bounces off of Fletch wonderfully) and Lucy Punch and Roy Wood Jr (a socialite and slow cop respectively), Ayden Mayeri threatens to steal the show as Junior Detective Griz. Naturally, being a funny and sharp movie which casts talented performers over big names, and relies on jokes and tight scripting rather than memes, it is bombing hard.
This is criminal.
Please watch this, if only because it will REALLY piss off Chevy Chase.