Nick of Time (1995)

The clock is ticking for Johnny Depp in Nick of Time, a twist-filled, race-against-time thriller directed by John Badham (Drop Zone, Saturday Night Fever). And indeed it is a race, filmed in "real time" so that onscreen events unfold minute by nail-biting minute as they would in real life. No sooner does accountant Gene Watson (Depp) arrive at L.A.'s Union station with his six-year-old daughter than he's plunged into a nightmare. Two shadowy strangers (Christopher Walken, Roma Maffia) separate Watson from his little girl, slap a gun into his hand and present a devil's bargain: kill a top government official before she leaves a nearby political rally... or never again see his beloved child.

The Clock Is Ticking

In director John Badham's stylish thriller Nick of Time, audiences are given the unique opportunity to watch as the suspenseful story unfolds in "real time". The film, which has often been dismissed by critics as a typical thriller, deserves a second glance. The film's too quickly overlooked and forgotten, which is a shame considering how enjoyable it is to watch.
Starring a terrific cast headed by Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken, Nick of Time is a more character and plot driven thriller than most. Although it's many overt references to Hitchcock films grows tiresome, the film succeeds on many levels, particularly because of the pairing of Depp and Walken.

The story follows accountant Gene Watson as he and his young daughter are put into mortal danger. They are approached by a sinister man, named Mr. Smith, who proposes to blackmail Watson. Mr. Smith says that he will kill Watson's daughter in exactly 75 minutes if Watson doesn't assassinate the Californian governor Eleanor Grant. As Watson struggles with his conscience and fails repeatedly to free himself of his situation, he soon learns that he cannot save both himself and his daughter, while protecting the governor. However, he manages to use his resourcefulness and arranges a meeting with the governor's aide and her secretary. That seems his best bet to avoid committing murder, until it turns out that the people that hired the ever-present Mr. Smith are part of the governor's own cabinet. Racing against the clock, Watson must uncover the source of this assassination conspiracy and save his daughter from the clutches of Mr. Smith and his insidious supporters, but the clock is ticking.

Though the film was poorly received during its initial release, it has since become a modest hit. What makes the film so interesting, from my own perspective, is that it set the template for the television show 24. The entire first season of 24 follows a Counter-Terrorist agent named jack Bauer as he is blackmailed into assassinating the first black presidential candidate or else his wife and daughter will be murdered. Like Nick of Time, the television show also unfolds in "real time". Each episode, which runs at about 44-47 minutes without commercial interruption, takes place during one hour in the day of Agent Bauer's life.
Certainly Nick of Time is a flawed film, but it does feature some impressive performances. Johnny Depp, who at the time was only playing weird outcast characters, gives perhaps his most underrated performance as the desperate Gene Watson and Christopher Walken is unforgettable as Mr. Smith.

Also recommended:
Strangers on a Train
The Manchurian Candidate (1962 original)
Cape Fear (1962 original)
Witness
Frantic
Cape Fear (1991 remake)
In the Line of Fire
The Net
Ransom November 24, 2008

Good thriller

I generally enjoy watching Johnny Depp and I thought he gave a fine performance in this movie along with Christopher Walken.

The story is tense and effectively protrayed an aura of paranoia. Not everything is realistic; but so what, it's a movie.

For fans of suspense/thrillers or Johnny Depp, I recommend giving it a try. November 20, 2008

FAR FETCHED, BUT TAUT THRILLER!

I had not seen this film in a few years, so I decided to give it another look. The film is fast paced and will keep your heart pumping through it's 88 minute running time. Depp and Walken add credibility to the incredible story! So.... When reviewing a movie like this I ask myself, what were the film makers trying to accomplish? This is not Citizen Kane, it's a slickly made intense thriller with a few minor flaws! If you don't think about it too long or seriously you will enjoy this movie. The last two minutes are a bit of a disappointment because of the "Hollywood" ending, but up until then it's a fun ride! Is it somewhat far fetched ....absolutely, do I care?.........absolutely NOT! The DVD has a nice transfer, but only a trailer for bonus material. September 18, 2008

Nick of Time

I first watched Nick of Time on cable about 5 years ago. I was so into this movie. It is like a good book...you just cannot put down until you have finished reading it. I had to have this for my own collection. It is truly a fantastic movie. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think Gene Watson (Johnny Depp) has finally found help from the officials he thought he could trust, lo and behold he learns everyone he approaches is involved in this dirty political event. Christopher Walken and Johnny Depp together are awesome. These two actors delivered a powerful, intense, riveting suspense that will have you wandering who will survive. Movie lovers...do not hesitate to purchase this DVD.You will not regret it. You will want to watch it over and over again. February 26, 2008

incredibly stupid story

I just watched this film this morning -- nearly a dozen years after the film's release. I wish I had actually never seen it.

What a stupid story! The entire premise is so preposterous that I imagine this film can only be enjoyed if you have the ability to suspend all critical thinking while viewing it. As others have commented, it makes absolutely no sense that this random accountant would be enlisted at the last minute to assassinate a governor, especially given the apparently large network of conspirators involved. Why Johnny Depp's character wouldn't have screamed for help as soon as he and his daughter were being abducted is beyond me. (Are we really to believe that he assumed that the "police" had a legitimate reason for detaining him and his daughter the way they did?) Later while he's pointing the gun at the head of the woman watching his child and she effectively talks him out of pulling the trigger by scaring him that the gunfire would "go through the seat" or be "deflected by a button" and hurt his girl, I could not believe how stupid his character apparently was. A quick shot in the woman's head from the angle at which he was holding the gun would certainly not go through the seat or deflect off a button, and the woman would certainly be dead and he could have taken his daughter and fled. And on and on with the ridiculous scenarios.

By far the worst film I've seen Johnny Depp in. The director even managed to mitigate Depp's sex appeal by making his character plain looking and apparently moronic beyond words. August 27, 2007

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