Confess, Fletch

Jon Hamm leads the laughs in this comedy-mystery as the titular investigative reporter on the trail of some stolen paintings, his pursuit of the story hampered when he becomes the prime suspect in a murder. As he seeks to clear his name and figure out who's trying to frame him and why, Fletch comes into contact with an array of misfits who may or may not have the answers he's looking for. Director and co-writer Greg Mottola updates the action from Gregory McDonald's series of Fletch novels, first published in the 1970s, without losing the breezy tone of the original books. The character was previously played on screen by Chevy Chase in two 1980s films, but Hamm's portrayal is more roguish with a sharper wit (thanks in no small part to a gag-packed script), and the plot is less reliant on the broad humour and wacky high jinks of its predecessors. It's helped enormously by a strong supporting cast, including comedian Roy Wood Jr as a police detective and a scene-stealing Marcia Gay Harden as an entitled countess.