Nick of Time

Starring: Johnny Depp, Christopher Walken, Courtney Chase, Charles S. Dutton, Roma Maffia, Marsha Mason. Peter Strauss
Directed by: John Badham
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
1995

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An ordinary man (Johnny Depp) is pulled out of a train station, and told that if he doesn't kill the governor of California (Marsha Mason) in 90 minutes, his daughter (Courtney Chase) will be killed by two thugs (Christopher Walken, Roma Maffia).

Review:

Tim: Nick of Time is a movie I wanted to like, but just couldn't. I normally love movies where an ordinary person is suddenly thrown into overwhelming, unbelievable circumstances. That is certainly the case here. However, the film is surprisingly bland, boring, and forgettable. There are too many plot holes, and when you add it all up, something is definitely missing. This film was a good idea, but doesn't work very well at all.

The biggest problem with this movie is that there are too many weak points in the story. I understand the basic thinking behind it, and I suppose there is some legitimate truth to the events of the film unfolding in real life. However, there is just too much that requires us to suspend disbelief. We are expected to believe that a huge number of people are in on this plot, and they happen to be basically everyone Johnny Depp happens to run into. This seemed a bit off. There were likewise dozens of moments throughout the film that just seemed a bit absurd. We are expected to believe that Depp can run all around a luxurious hotel during the day the governor is expected to speak, without anyone thinking something was odd about that. I could never really get into the story because there were too many holes in the plot.

The actors themselves do a pretty good job. Johnny Depp is quite good in the protagonist role. He is a very good actor, and plays the part well. I was a bit surprised he played it so straight- he is known for crazy, off-the-wall characters, but there was none of that at all in this performance. I actually enjoyed the mellowed down, normal Depp here. He has quite a bit of help in Christopher Walken, a guy who can effortlessly play a bad guy. He is very menacing and is the guy you love to hate. Walken works very well in this film. I really enjoyed the numebr of exchanges between Walken and Depp. These are two fantastic actors, and it was great seeing them interacting together in this film.

Nick of Time is a thriller that feels like it's missing something. The story is interesting, yet it never really clicks. It is simply asking too much of its audience. I have no problem believing things that probably wouldn't happen in real life, but I struggled to do that here. I never really got into the film to the point where I was entertained by it. The story is interesting and there are a few tense moments, but I couldn't really invest myself in the characters or the story. I felt like I was watching from the outside, rather than actually in the action. While there are a few things to like here, this is mostly a disappointing thriller.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Donnie Brasco, The Rundown, In the Line of Fire