Nick of Time *** (1995, Johnny Depp, Christopher Walken) – Classic Movie Review 1629

Director John Badham’s enjoyable 1995 thriller stars Johnny Depp, who profitably forsakes his usual oddball image for a straight part as an average American Joe in this highly improbable, but entertaining thriller that unfolds, unusually, in real time.

At 12.07pm, Gene Watson (Depp), an accountant anxious to get to a job interview on time, steps off a train at the glorious art deco Los Angeles rail station with his beloved six-year-old daughter Lynn (Courtney Chase). In a matter of minutes, without warning, he becomes a deadly pawn in a political assassination plot. Pretending to be cops, the sinister Mr Smith (Christopher Walken) and Ms Jones (Roma Maffia) kidnap Lynn and confront Gene with a deadly choice. He now has 80 minutes to stalk and kill the Governor of California (Marsha Mason) – or his daughter will die.

Badham blatantly keeps the pace pounding along, brazenly defying those who might try to point out the plot holes in Patrick Sheane Duncan’s screenplay, and the short, sharp film never outstays its welcome. Depp makes a strong, nervy hero, while Walken and Maffia head an excellent support cast who also help it along nicely, including Charles S Dutton, Peter Strauss, Gloria Reuben, Bill Smitrovich and G D Spradlin.

Nick of Time is a crisp, well-made piece of work, no masterpiece but still underrated on release.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1629

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