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 plot unfolds in real time.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The taxi journey from Union Train Station in LA to the Bonaventure hotel cost Johnny Depp's character less than 4 dollars.

Quotes:

Gene Watson: Kisses to you.
Lynn Watson: No, kisses to you!

Movie Connections:

References Gojira (1954)

Soundtrack:

Celebration

A good if far fetched premise makes this movie oddly watchable.

An young accountant Gene Wilson (Johnny Deep) arrived at L.A.'s Union Station with his daughter (Courtney Chase). From the moment, they arrived, two mysterious strangers (Oscar-Winner:Christopher Walken and Roma Maffia) separate him from his daughter. One of them proposed Gene to assassinate a government official (Marsha Mason) or else, they will murder his daughter.

Directed by John Badham (The Hard Way, Short Circuit, Stakeout) made an entertaining, clever if barely believable. suspense thriller that was filmed in "real time". Which it doesn't always paid off, especially the director used endless close-up of clocks. Which does at times makes this movie claustrophobic but not enough. This was one of the major box office flops and critical disappointments of 1995. But the picture plays surprisingly better on video and went on to have a sort of a cult following years later.

DVD has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and an good-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD's only extra is the theatrical trailer. What makes this flawed movie watchable is a game cast, sometimes amusing dark sense of humour and a few good moments of genuine suspense. But at times, the film nearly falls apart from the unlikely false plot moment near the third act and an unsatisfying conclusion. Despite all this, this is a well directed picture that certainly worth a look of this truly real mixed bag film. Written by Patrick Sheane Duncan (Courage Under Fire, A Home of Our Own, Mr. Holland's Opus). (*** ½/*****).