Nick of Time

1995
15
1h 30m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Dark Comedy Political Thriller Psychological Thriller Action Crime Drama Thriller

An unimpressive, everyday man is forced into a situation where he is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter.An unimpressive, everyday man is forced into a situation where he is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter.An unimpressive, everyday man is forced into a situation where he is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

46K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Trivia
One of the most remarkable film sequences involved one seamless take, during which Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken board a glass-walled elevator, and ride 35 floors to the top of Los Angeles' Bonaventure hotel. Crammed into the confines of the elevator with the actors were director John Badham, cinematographer Roy H. Wagner, focus-puller Todd Slyapich, sound mixer Willie D. Burton, boom operator Marvin E. Lewis, and script supervisor Barbara Thaxton. Given the fact that the elevator was glass from top to bottom, was lit by eight Kino Flo lamps, ensuring that camera and crew reflections were not captured on film, was quite an exercise in and of itself.

Goofs
Once Gene Watson gets to the hotel and realizes who he's been sent to kill, he checks his watch. The watch in the closeup is a round watch. As we walks off and speaks to another person the watch on his arm becomes visible. It is a square faced watch.

Quotes
[Mr. Smith tells Mr. Watson a story about a man he loved]
Mr. Smith: There was this guy... Big guy, Irish-Italian. Red-faced, black-haired, jolly son of a bitch... Wait a second, nobody could make me laugh like him. He made a science of collecting jokes. We closed more bars together than I could count. Now, he was a pal. I loved the crazy mick. I'm not ashamed to say that, but... He was a fuck-up. He had this image of himself. He thought he was a con man. Always trying to shave the edge. He was nickel and dime. I'll always miss him. Tell me why.
Gene Watson: Tell you why, what?
Mr. Smith: Tell me why I miss him.
Gene Watson: He's dead?
Mr. Smith: That's right. He is dead, but tell me why.
Gene Watson: How do I know? I don't...
Mr. Smith: Tell me why he's dead.
Gene Watson: Because you killed him.
Mr. Smith: That's right, I did. I killed him. He fucked up one too many times. So, I put a bullet in his eye. Then, I put two more into him just to make sure. Now, that was somebody I loved; I loved him! But I got the call, and I put him down like a sick animal. So... if you got doubts... about what's going to happen if you don't deliver, let me tell you something. I'll make gravy out of your little girl just to season that Black Irish cocksucker's meat. Now, you do what you're supposed to do, young man. You do it now.

Alternate versions
Television broadcast versions include one additional scene shortly before the final shot. Gene, his daughter, Huey, and the governor are all chatting in the aftermath of the mayhem. Huey asks what time it was, and Gene reveals that he had lost his watch.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Casino/Two Bits/Money Train/Nick of Time/Frankie Starlight (1995)

Soundtracks
Have A Heart
Written by Bonnie Hayes
Performed by Bonnie Raitt

User reviews170

Review

Featured review

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.