Nick of Time (1995)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

John Badham

Writer (WGA):

Patrick Sheane Duncan (written by)

Release Date:

22 November 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Within 90 minutes, someone is going to die... And the clock is ticking.

Plot:

Gene Watson is a public accountant who arrives on a train at Union Station in Los Angeles, accompanied by his 6-year-old daughter Lynn...

Plot Keywords:

Governor | Hotel | Accountant | Speech | Time

Cast

Johnny Depp	...	Gene Watson
Courtney Chase	...	Lynn Watson
Charles S. Dutton	...	Huey
Christopher Walken	...	Mr. Smith
Roma Maffia	...	Ms. Jones
Marsha Mason	...	Gov. Eleanor Grant
Peter Strauss	...	Brendan Grant
Gloria Reuben	...	Krista Brooks
Bill Smitrovich	...	Officer Trust
G.D. Spradlin	...	Mystery Man
Yul Vazquez	...	Gustino (Guest Services)
Edith Diaz	...	Irene (Domestic Maintenance)
Armando Ortega	...	Hector (Guest Services)
C.J. Bau	...	Mixologist
Cynthena Sanders	...	Beverage Server

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:12 | Brazil:12 | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | USA:R (certificate #34003) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Canada:AA (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The bulk of the movie was shot almost entirely hand-held using combinations of multi-camera and Steadicam set-ups. Even during the few actual dolly tracking sequences, the camera was hand-held and operated from a dolly by a seated cameraman.

Goofs:

Continuity: When fighting with Watson on the stairway, Mr. Smith's hair is in his face on the closeup shot but is otherwise greased back.

Quotes:

Gene Watson: Don't run off now, sweetpea. Stay close to daddy.

Movie Connections:

Features "The $10,000 Pyramid" (1973)

Soundtrack:

Celebration

Clever little thriller

A clever idea - an thriller played along real time to involve the viewer directly in the tension and pressure of the deadlines. Depp is forced to kill a senator or his daughter will be killed by Walken and Maffia. He is given a gun and a time limit to carry it out.

As the basis for a thriller it doesn't quite work - the real time concept falls apart a few times, but with this much talent on board it still holds it own. A throwback to the Hitchcock everyman thrillers of years ago, Depp plays his character well and you always believe he is just an ordinary man in an unbelievable situation rather than an action hero in the making while Walken does what he does best and plays the villain well.

The plot holds together well and you really find stuff out at the same time as Depp does. Some of the conspiracy stuff towards the end of the film is obvious and doesn't add anything to the film, but the main story revolving around Depp and Walken is tense enough to carry the film.

It doesn't contain any explosions or martial arts but the tension is good throughout. It's not a classic thriller but it's quite an original idea and plot and almost manages to keep the tension for the whole movie.