Picking Nits
Costigan's bad deal and psychology; death-wish motivation; Queenan and Costello missing the rats; Colin's interrogation interference; the left envelope; the lawyer's tapes; Combat Zone anachronism; two dates of birth; nonexistent apartment
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:42:42Read transcript
- Why Costigan agreed to such a terrible deal; his split-family psychology and being challenged as a rich boy do not explain it, and his violent history should have kept him out of the academy.
- The tax-free pay written on paper and whether he is a thrill-seeker; one view is a death wish the movie did not sell correctly.
- Which is more unrealistic: Sheen not realizing Damon was the rat despite his calls, or Costello not realizing Leo was.
- Damon turning off the interrogation camera and later losing the tail stretches disbelief, partly explained by Badge Dale also working for Costello.
- Costigan sees the Citizens Bank envelope, leaves it displayed and runs, botching the moment despite supposedly high SITs (as transcribed).
- What if Costigan never saw the envelope: the movie just ends with more impotent sex.
- Costello's lawyer giving Costigan the tapes is a stretch.
- The Patriot Act dates the film to at least 2002, when the porn theaters were gone; Costigan's record shows two dates of birth; the apartment does not exist.