Nick Of Time is one of those short nifty films that just gets by by being cute, (so darn cute here) throwing everything in, but the kitchen sink. Depp and daughter arrive at an L.A. train station where they are approached by two mysterious figures (Walken and Mafia, like you've never seen her before) posing as plain clothes cops. At the flash of a badge, the daughter is snatched from Depp, and Walken gives him an ultimatum: assassinate this senator (Mason) within 75 minutes, of the daughter will be killed. These pro killers will carry out on their promise too. So we're working with real time, where it's hard to believe all of what Depp goes through, happens in this time space. I'll be honest, it's almost improbable, and you will notice by the cut back to time readings, time moves slow. It is interesting though in how Depp does his own thing, using his smarts, trying to figure an answer out of the dilemma, and what he resorts to. There are holes in this film, trust me. Depp plays it down the line, Mr Goody clean, in one of his sanest roles. He's superb, where Walken is fantastic as always, and menacing where Mafia is scary and disturbing. Mason with her doting public figure character, couldn't be finer, where Strauss, as a bad guy? yeah, and Mason's husband, does well. There are some thrilling turns in this, where Depp must outwit a sea of good and bad guys, but on the whole, NOT is weak, get by thriller, written by the guy who strangely enough wrote 94's dark, flat, adult pic, The Pornographer, where his baby was 82's The Beach Girls. NOT does have a truly thrilling and spectacular climax, bringing it's quality up, in something too little, too late. It isn't one of the brightest films, or brightest written, parts, involving dialogue too, seemed to be made up as it went, by a writer who's written his share of pics, and a consistent director, who's made his share.
Review of Nick of Time
