Gegen die Zeit

I actually really enjoyed this movie. It asks many questions about what a person would do in an impossible situation. The script is well done, funny and totally unpredictable. It is also quite original. This movie is certainly worth watching.

Nick of Time has a rather novel concept of taking place in real time some years before the TV series 24 made this its central conceit.

Johnny Depp plays an everyman accountant whose young daughter is kidnapped by villainous Christopher Walken and ordered to kill the Governor of California or else his daughter will die.

Walken gives him a gun and a time limit of 90 minutes and it has to be done when the Governor is giving a speech in a hotel.

Depp in an unusual role playing a normal guy has to keep his wits about him and try to find help but Walken and his cronies are watching his every move. Depp still manages to unravel a conspiracy.

The film may have a preposterous plot, surely there are easier ways to kill the Governor but the film kicks in quickly and director John Badham clearly brings a Hitchcockian sheen to the film. You seem the time motif regularly in the film and an increasingly frantic Depp as time goes on.

This Hichcockian movie deals with an accountant named Watson (Johnny Depp) arriving in L.A. Union Station accompanied by his little daughter named Lynn (Courtney Chase). He's approached by a pair of rare people (Christopher Walken, Roma Maffia). The daughter is taken hostage into a van and Watson suffers a blackmail , he's given a gun with six bullets and he must go to the Bonaventure Hotel and commit a murder on a known people (Marsha Mason) . Watson is only helped by a shoeshine worker (Charles S Dutton).

Gripping, original action movie with Depp desperately trying to find the means to avoid his daughter to be murdered. Excellent thriller full of intrigue and tense , this is a fast-paced, stylized action-suspense film . The tension of this picture keeps snowballing as the clock ticks ever close for killing the starring's daughter . The tale appears to be unfolded in real time as the many on screen clocks will verify. Most unusual is the device of having the victim play desperado and hunt the killers, and saving his daughter , as time runs out. Casting is frankly magnificent, Johnny Deep as a tormented businessman who becomes involved into a twisted plot , Christopher Walken takes honors as a psychopath who attempts to turn the tables on the victim before he can inform the police . Plus, a good secondary cast , such as Peter Strauss, Roma Maffia, Gloria Reuben, Marsha Mason, G D Spradlin, among them . Adequate musical score accompanying the action by Arthur B. Rubinstein and inventively photographed by Roy Wagner. The motion picture was well directed by John Badham. He's a nice director who achieved his greatest success in the 80s . He directed several hits (Saturday night fever, Short circuit, Blue thunder, Drop zone, War games, Skateout), though today making TV movies (Jack Bull, Floating away) and television episodes (Crossing Jordan ,Psych, Las Vegas , Standoff, Heroes).

I am a huge Christopher Walken fan so that was my motivation for seeing this film. I must first say that it is similar to "Speed" but I thought this was much more entertaining. The movie is entertaining and it has a few great little speeches by Mr. Walken. Johnny Depp is cool as a normal guy trying to be the hero. Watch this movie if you love these two actors. If you do not like Walken then you will probably not like the film (but who doesn't like Christopher Walken?!)

I thought this was a pretty good movie. A suspenseful movie, Hitchcockian in that an innocent man gets involved in a deadly plot. An intriguing plot that had me thinking what I would do in the situation. Christopher Walken was, as usual, creepy and Johnny Depp was believable. The rest of the cast was very competent. I'd advise renting it. Not a special effects extravaganza but a nicely written fast moving movie.