Roger Ebert, called our guy, gave the film four stars.
Ebert wrote that although many plot devices match the Hong Kong original, this is Scorsese's film all the way because of his understanding of guilt, the central subject of so much of his work; it is called a very Catholic movie.

Wahlberg and Baldwin grilling DiCaprio; driving range scene; rooftop triple cross and elevator; Frank meets Billy to 'Let It Loose'; Queenan's fall and Dignam quitting; French and Frank's 'reliable' talk; Madeline and Billy's first session and Comfortably Numb scene

In the discussion (18)

Approx. transcript time · 00:36:26Read transcript

The first pod handled this category loosely; this time they are doing it correctly, likened to the third Seinfeld plot when they had figured out how to incorporate Elaine, but not really.
First pick: Walberg's Dignam, with Baldwin, grilling Leo ("lace curtain motherfucker", "double kid", different accents), treated as one long scene that could be watched on YouTube for hours.
Walberg is really good here even if he dials it up; it is called the second best use of him after Dirk Diggler, and his character makes no sense, which the movie turns into a trick that pays off in the last shot; James Badge Dale's character works similarly.
The cranberry juice scene, missing from the last episode: Ray Winstone's "guys you can hit" monologue, the bar patron's "natural diuretic" line, and the later Nicholson callback; the sarcastic reaction is called exactly what would happen in a Boston bar.
Borderline pick: Damon's first date with Vera, well written and acted.
Leo meets Costello in the bar: a favorite character introduction via the two middle-aged ladies and "Mr. French", like Satan or Michael Myers arriving, then the back-room scene where the undercover cop's pushback leaves Costello wondering what is wrong with this kid.
The "spilled guineas" line is called a weird line that got greenlit and the first 35 minutes pretty racist.
DiCaprio called filming a one-on-one scene with Jack one of the most memorable moments of his life; it is unclear whether he meant the bar scene or the table scene with the drawing and rat noises, which feels improvised.
The Chinese surveillance scene, picked for Walberg's "I'm the guy who does his job. You must be the other guy," called one of the great movie lines, plus Baldwin fired up about the Patriot Act as a snapshot of the time.
The driving range scene: Baldwin's theory on marriage and Damon's "working overtime"; the golf swing is bad; the scene is nearly shot for shot from Infernal Affairs, which had no humor.
The porn theater scene is well constructed, with Nicholson's dildo, leading into the "I got this rat" scene.
344 Washington: Sheen falling to his death was shocking in the theater; the van drives over the body and blood spatters Leo; it leads straight to Walberg quitting ("two weeks with pay") and Boggs as Delahunt.
Also listed: Damon calling a dead man's phone, Costello's death scene with Jack running, Mr. French killing himself just before the car blows up, and Leo versus Damon.
Adds the random French and Frank scene about who is reliable, with the cutaway to Frank murdering his wife called anachronistic. — Chris Ryan
Adds two Madeline and Billy scenes: the first session ("two pills... give me a bottle of scotch and a handgun") and the Comfortably Numb sex scene, one of the very few good love scenes in a Scorsese movie. — Chris Ryan
Another answer: the movie is most fun when Wahlberg or Baldwin gives someone shit, especially the first Walberg sequence with Leo and Baldwin on the driving range; the rooftop confrontation, triple cross and elevator is the best executed sequence.
Favorite: Frank meets Billy with the Stones' "Let It Loose" playing; the most enjoyed combination is Sheen falling to his death followed by Walberg quitting.
The triple shooting is among the best action Scorsese has shot, shock after shock from Anthony Anderson to Barrigan, forcing viewers to reprocess Barrigan as a Costello mole; seeing it next to Tarantino would be even more fun.

What’s Aged the Best?

Leo versus Damon; Damon's villain performance; Damon's Boston accent; Damon's contempt for firemen; Baldwin and Wahlberg running SIU; Baldwin's 'go fuck yourself'; Nicholson's death scene; Scorsese's highball-glass record; the 'black guy in Boston' line

In the discussion (10)

Approx. transcript time · 00:52:28Read transcript

Leo versus Damon as generational rivals, like LeBron and Durant, with Walberg compared to James Hardin and then Anthony Davis; the movie catches both at their peaks.
Leo and Damon reportedly barely saw each other during production, shooting nights and days respectively, like Heat.
Damon's performance is called underrated: an effortless, unlikable, insecure villain; many of his best roles (School Ties, Ripley, The Informant, early Good Will Hunting) are good jerks.
Damon versus Walberg for the goat Boston accent in a movie, and Damon wins: here it is the accent of someone trying to hide it while climbing, slipping out in the wrong spots; one participant says he knows nothing about the Boston accent.
Damon's real contempt for firemen, and the credits arriving 18 minutes in.
Baldwin and Wahlberg running SIU with no HR department; questions about why it is state troopers rather than Boston PD, perhaps speaking to trooper incompetence; Baldwin's "go fuck yourself" is great.
The Nicholson death scene is really good, prompting an impromptu best Nicholson death scene: Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining and Batman join The Departed as a Mount Rushmore; Witches of Eastwick is pitched; The Shining maze death is preferred by one participant.
His shirt reading Irish in the death scene; Nicholson's own choices (the dildo, the cocaine, the opera) suggest he had carte blanche.
Scorsese officially breaks the record for characters hitting another character over the head with a highball glass, and no bar scene ever works out in a Scorsese movie.
The line to Anthony Anderson that as a black guy in Boston he does not need help to be completely fucked is called a subtle, smart Boston touch.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Opening background montage; the final rat; Gimme Shelter reuse; blind pocket texting; microprocessors plot device; cocaine opera scene; bad Boston accents; Nicholson's race monologue, dildo and Red Sox hat refusal; confusing final shootout; New York standing in for Boston; nonexistent State House view

In the discussion (19)

Approx. transcript time · 00:58:30Read transcript

The opening background montage is held for this category: it does not work, feels like a different movie, and could be cut from a two-and-a-half-hour film since a later line does the work.
Nicholson is saved for last; Nicholson running has aged both best and worst.
The rat is disliked, and the body on the floor in the reverse shot is not Damon; nobody told Scorsese no in 2006, likened to their own Miami Vice pod.
A requested defense of the rat, not fully believed: in a maximalist movie it is the final maximalist note, meaning corruption rises to the top and betrayal lives on in institutions; the reply is that a cool crime movie does not need a grand statement.
Flip phones as a central character are listed, but also called a nice time capsule.
Walberg's hair: joking speculation that this was the last movie before he found a hair guy, with a Tom Brady comparison, explicitly labeled speculation; a defense of Irish hair becoming a bouffant applies to the character, not Walberg.
Gimme Shelter used a third time after Goodfellas and Casino, looped three times here; it is defended as an intentional sonic-barrage motif as in Wolf, but his earlier uses were more precise and the song became a cliche and crutch.
Damon texting blind in his pocket on T9 would never happen with an iPhone.
The microprocessors plot device is questioned; it should have been a drugs and guns movie, though it may exist to justify FBI interest, as in early The Wire.
The cocaine opera scene is bonkers with no explanation, possibly Nicholson wanting to have fun, or showing Costello as Satan and a pure hedonist.
Bad Boston accents: Leo is okay, Baldwin is a Long Island-Boston hybrid; the bad ones include Vera, who abandons hers after an hour, and Martin Sheen, whose lifer character needed it.
Nicholson items: the race monologue should have been cut, the porn theater dildo is inexplicable, and he refused to wear a Red Sox hat and banned them on set in a Boston gangster movie despite killing people onscreen.
Whether Whitey Bulger wore a Red Sox hat is questioned; Nicholson may wear a Yankee hat in one scene; a joke that someone in Costello's crew would shoot him over it.
Found a photo of Whitey Bulger wearing a Red Sox hat. — Craig Horlbeck
The shootout that kills Costello is spatially confusing, and some cutting misfires, such as blood exploding from Sheen before he hits the ground.
It is not really Boston: they shot only a couple weeks there, and the Chinatown chase is obviously New York.
Costello's scheme to confirm Billy is not the rat is unimpressive, a plot flaw.
John Lennon's "Well Well Well" plays and then Nicholson opens a John Lennon speech, called ridiculous though entertaining.
The State House view from the condo in the last shot does not exist, since Beacon Hill is surrounded by buildings and trees; tied to an old Blown Away complaint about bastardized Boston geography.

Casting What-Ifs

Brad Pitt as Sullivan; Al Pacino as Costello; Ray Liotta or Denis Leary as Dignam; Mel Gibson as Ellerby; Robert De Niro as Queenan

In the discussion (10)

Approx. transcript time · 01:13:42Read transcript

The casting what-ifs are called probably the best for any movie they have done, a whole alternate Departed.
Pitt bought the producing rights, planned to play the Damon part, then decided he might be too old and went to do Babel.
Debate over Pitt: good instincts about roles and a great producer, but miscast himself in Meet Joe Black and The Devil's Own; Damon was the better choice.
Scorsese wanted Al Pacino for Costello; Pacino turned it down and Nicholson was the second choice.
Ray Leota was the original choice for Dignam but declined over other commitments, his 2006 films including Comeback Season, Local Color and Even Money.
Dennis Leary was the second choice for Dignam but had to make season three of "rest of me" (as transcribed); he would have been great, though Walberg is perfect.
Ellerby was offered to Mel Gibson, who was starting Apocalypto; Queenan was supposed to be De Niro, who made The Good Shepherd; the Anthony Anderson role was meant for "the Rizza" (transcript form, unresolved), who was too old or had conflicts.
Leo was in The Good Shepherd but dropped out to play Billy Costigan, and Damon then took The Good Shepherd role; The Good Shepherd is called an unexamined movie with a dynamite cast.
The alternate cast (Leo, Pitt, Pacino, Leota, De Niro, Mel Gibson and the Riza) is called pretty loaded and preferred by one participant; Pacino would lose Costello's lumbering physicality but gain CR doing Pacino.
Would-you-rathers: Walberg over Ray Leota, Baldwin over Mel Gibson 100 out of 100 times, and De Niro over Sheen since he can underplay.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Mark Rolston

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:21:51Read transcript

New this time; nominees include Boggs a.k.a. Delahunt (Mark Ralston), Kevin Corrigan (a Chris Ryan all-time favorite), Ray Winstone, Fitsy (David O'Hara) and James Badge Deo.
Ray Winstone is ruled out as essentially a fifth lead and not Irish; one participant would rather save Kevin Corrigan for Dion.
A deep-cut nominee: J.C. McKenzie as Damon's realtor.
The winner is Boggs, an incredible that guy.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Jack Nicholson

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:23:41Read transcript

They skip to a final of Baldwin versus Jack Nicholson, citing the "put a body in the mosh" line.
Honorable mention for DiCaprio walking through Logan Airport, where the little girl passing by is apparently Francesca Scorsese.
Nicholson wins; the award could be called the Frank Costello award.

Recasting Couch

Gene Hackman as Costello

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 01:24:35Read transcript

Recasting Costello is raised early: this is not a good Nicholson performance given expectations, and failing to get an Oscar nomination at his stature means something went wrong.
The part needs real weight and prestige, a Brando Godfather type; Daniel DeLois and Sean Penn are too young, Jimmy Con and Duval too old, and Gandalfini is not Irish.
Nicholson was at the tail end of his career, like Magic Johnson in 1996; the movie might be tighter without his indulgences, but it is hard to conceive without him; in A Few Good Men every choice was perfect, here he is all over the place.
Hackman is proposed and liked: imposing, has played bastards, never worked with Scorsese, though he may have checked out by then; one participant would rather roll the dice with Hackman.
James Badge Dale was not famous enough to register as the guy from earlier; the counterpoint is that it works because it is someone the audience does not know.
Ryan Gosling is rejected; Jake Gyllenha and Keith Ledger are floated, but a star disappearing for two hours would be distracting, and Badge Dale is legit good.
They settle on Gene Hackman as Costello.
Hackman might refuse certain things, whereas Nicholson brought chaos such as the cocaine and a vibrator.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Mark Wahlberg

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:29:09Read transcript

Candidates are Mr. French, Walberg or Baldwin; with Dignam's limited scenes, it has to be Walberg.
Baldwin is really good, and losing is called one of the worst bad beats.

Half-Assed Internet Research

On-set friction; Whitey Bulger basis; The Wire offer to Ray Winstone; Scorsese's surprise at winning; Wolf of Wall Street yacht; X motif; Ballhaus's last collaboration; tax credits; Monahan sequel idea; F-word count; VHS; Psycho shower homage

In the discussion (10)

Approx. transcript time · 01:31:10Read transcript

"Him and Nicholson" reportedly did not get along on set (the referent is unclear in the transcript).
Nicholson wanted it to be more than a gangster film, so Monaghan based Costello on Whitey Bulger; the window view behind the rat nods to Little Caesar, Scarface and White Heat.
Ray Winstone was supposed to play Jimmy McNulty but turned it down because he did not want to move to Baltimore.
Reportedly the director was surprised the film won and never thought about awards, finding it too nasty and violent and a remake; the yacht behind Frank is the same yacht as in Wolf of Wall Street.
X motif sightings: airport walkway crossbeams, taped windows where Queenan is thrown, behind Costigan in the elevator, and the carpet when Damon returns.
This was the last Scorsese-Ballhaus collaboration; an early attempt to shoot with more Infernal Affairs-style whip pans was dropped; later films with Robert Richardson and Rodrigo Prieto look totally different.
Shot mostly in New York for its 15% tax credit, the film prompted Massachusetts to adopt a 25% credit and 15 years of movies filmed there.
Monahan described a sequel set before, during and after the first film, showing off-screen actions; the reply from Scorsese was no thanks; Walberg talked about a Dignam sequel, and Ted Sarandos is urged to make one.
The count of the F word is given as 112 and 238 (unclear which is the answer) with a sense it is undercounted; it was the first Best Picture winner not released on VHS.
The shower shots before Madeline listens to the Costigan tape repeat the three shots of Psycho's shower scene.

Apex Mountain

Dropkick Murphys; Van Morrison's live 'Comfortably Numb'; Kevin Corrigan as cop-magnet cousin

In the discussion (10)

Approx. transcript time · 01:36:15Read transcript

Leo has a case, with this and Blood Diamond in the same year and merging critical acclaim with blockbusters (Shutter Island, Wolf of Wall Street).
Matt Damon, no; Scorsese, no, although a case was made for a career apex.
The Dropkick Murphys are a yes: Papelbon used "Shipping Up to Boston" as entrance music and it became the Red Sox song; the Bosstones missed with "The Impression That I Get".
Jack Nicholson, no; Mark Wahlberg, no.
"Comfortably Numb" as a song had bigger moments on its original release, but this Van Morrison live-album version is a yes.
After not knowing "Comfortably Numb", quizzed to name a Pink Floyd song and answers The Wall. — Craig Horlbeck
Combat Zone porn theaters are raised, but the area had been cleaned up years before 2006, making them an anachronism; memories of the Combat Zone and a porn theater near the Boston Garden.
Alec Baldwin, no (30 Rock); Southie and extended Boston, no, done better; Vera, no (Conjuring, Up in the Air).
Kevin Corrigan is the apex mountain of being a cop-magnet cousin; the back porch view recalls Charlestown.
The "Thief's Theme" drive is called a rare great Scorsese hip-hop moment that should have been put in Apex.

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.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Limited series; 10-episode Dignam show with Mark Wahlberg

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:47:31Read transcript

It would work as a limited series rather than multi-season, but it could not be made at this light-the-wick pace and would need to be more like True Detective.
Flipped question: could it be a 10-episode Dignam show with Mark Wahlberg? Definitely.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Why Colin was impotent; whose baby Madeline carried; why Madeline did not turn Colin in; Damon and Leo switching parts; why the name Dignam

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 01:48:18Read transcript

Colin's impotence ties to his whole life being a lie and a performance.
His "I'm fucking Irish" speech to Madeline is judged sincere, his most Billy moment, with a Jets joke.
Whose baby is Madeline carrying: one thinks Colin's, others argue Leo's since only Billy is shown having sex with her.
Why Madeline does not turn Colin in despite the evidence; her exit is abrupt.
If Damon and Leo switched parts: worse, since nobody could do Costigan better than DeCaprio, versus Damon could have done it (Courage Under Fire, The Last Duel).
Why the name Dignam: one of Monaghan's naming flourishes.

The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie

"I thought I was supposed to go into shock. I'm not in shock."; "I'll cut your fucking nuts off."

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:51:15Read transcript

Best quote is no longer a regular category but is allowed; a shout-out goes to the guy who screams "I thought I was supposed to go into shock. I'm not in shock," a Goodfellas-like scene.
Also the "I fucking know you. I know your family... I'll cut your fucking nuts off" line, called a good high school yearbook quote.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Damon's flip phone; briefcase of microprocessors; Damon's American flag hat

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:51:46Read transcript

Picks: the Damon flip phone, a briefcase full of microprocessors, and the Damon American flag hat, perhaps an ode to the Combat Zone or the Patriot Act.

Who Won the Movie?

Leonardo DiCaprio; Martin Scorsese

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 01:52:13Read transcript

DeCaprio is proposed, as last time, followed by "Yeah. I agree."
Martin Scorsese, who won Best Director at the Academy Awards. — Sean Fennessey
Pushback: the question is who won the movie, not who made the best movie, and Leo wins it.
The Scorsese case: a $300 million movie, the two biggest movie stars playing opposite each other, and the long-awaited Best Picture and Best Director.
Still Leo: one of the most important actors of a lifetime, who proved in two and a half hours that he could do anything.
Thought experiment: Leo needed this movie for his stretch but was already Leo; without it Scorsese likely never wins Best Picture or Director and becomes Charles Barkley.
Sides with Sean's pick of Scorsese. — Craig Horlbeck
The tally is tied two to two; the Scorsese case is seen from a career standpoint, but Leo wins the movie; both did it, and there are many winners.

Podcast choices

Speaker not identified: Leonardo DiCaprio
Sean Fennessey: Martin Scorsese
Craig Horlbeck: Martin Scorsese
Speaker not identified: Leonardo DiCaprio

More from the conversation

The episode acknowledges it already covered The Departed four years ago, then opens with trailer audio for "The Re-Departed".

Approx. transcript time · 00:01:47Read transcript

The earlier Departed episode was one of the first Rewatchables, without Sean and with only a couple of categories; a Dion Waiters analogy in it became the Dion Waiters category; it ran about 50 minutes and did not do the movie justice.

Approx. transcript time · 00:02:24Read transcript

Sean texted that this is the Irish Godfather; with the 15-year anniversary coming up, they decided to redo the Departed podcast correctly.

Approx. transcript time · 00:03:07Read transcript

Russillo, who thinks The Town is better, declined the invitation; Van Lathan also likes The Town a lot more; one host personally prefers The Town but loves this movie, while another calls this more rewatchable.

Approx. transcript time · 00:03:21Read transcript

It is the Irish Godfather by default: few movies about Irish gangs, capturing Irish family and community ball-breaking, with more melancholy and dark humor than Italian gangster films, and best as a comedy.

Approx. transcript time · 00:04:11Read transcript

Four famous stars; 1997 was momentous for all of them (Nicholson's last Oscar, Titanic, Good Will Hunting, Boogie Nights); the trailer revealed an Infernal Affairs remake with all of them plus Scorsese, and it matched the hype.

Approx. transcript time · 00:05:09Read transcript

A popcorn gangster movie paying homage to 70s and 30s crime films, a B movie with the soul of Irish literature through Monaghan's script: alcoholic depression, gallows humor, self-consciousness about Catholicism and Irishness.

Approx. transcript time · 00:05:59Read transcript

On loop the movie becomes a blur; it gets more rewatchable as it goes; A Few Good Men was the first non-sports rewatchable and this was second.

Approx. transcript time · 00:07:07Read transcript

Theory of movies: hang-glider movies versus zipline movies; this is a zipline movie hurtling to its conclusion, the messiest Scorsese movie by a wide margin, not as an insult.

Approx. transcript time · 00:08:03Read transcript

Everyone is swinging: Walberg going full Southie almost to a detriment, Damon offbeat, and Leo called the best leading man in this, his best part, alongside Denzel.

Approx. transcript time · 00:09:09Read transcript

A Scorsese greatest hits, like the Rolling Stones in 1979, or an older person forgetting where they were, with music stopping and restarting; it was dragged on release as too easy and a remake.

Approx. transcript time · 00:10:03Read transcript

A Big Picture "Garbage Crime" episode is recalled; a lesser version with 2006 John Hamm as Billy Costigan would still be rewatchable.

Approx. transcript time · 00:10:53Read transcript

Raj's review line that a movie is about how it is about; stop-start songs, mismatched shots, the X marks before deaths, and Billy constantly talking about dying.

Approx. transcript time · 00:11:29Read transcript

The therapist becomes the priest, a post-Sopranos 21st-century gangster movie that is all external, unlike Goodfellas or Raging Bull; the structure cross-cuts within conversations and the credits arrive 18 minutes in.

Approx. transcript time · 00:12:28Read transcript

Scorsese took the remake after Gangs of New York and The Aviator thinking it would be fun with Leo and Brad Pitt; it became Leo and Damon, then Nicholson.

Approx. transcript time · 00:14:54Read transcript

A horrible Oscar year (Babel, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen) made it a makeup Oscar, compared to the Bucks winning in an injury year; Gangs and The Aviator were self-conscious Oscar bids.

Approx. transcript time · 00:15:29Read transcript

The Oscars clip: Spielberg, Lucas and Coppola presented Best Director; it is called one of the best Oscar moments of the century with genuine joy in the room.

Approx. transcript time · 00:16:58Read transcript

A better slate would have included Borat, Children of Men, Little Children and Pan's Labyrinth; Children of Men had a strong directing case but was not nominated; United 93 is praised but one-time-only, like Million Dollar Baby.

Approx. transcript time · 00:18:27Read transcript

Comparison with Pacino's Scent of a Woman Oscar and Goodfellas losing to Dances with Wolves; Scorsese played the Oscar game while Pacino never did.

Approx. transcript time · 00:20:22Read transcript

Four Oscars (Picture, Director, Screenplay, Editing); Walberg nominated for about four days of work; the studio backed DiCaprio for Blood Diamond instead, and his missing Best Actor nomination here is called insane.

Approx. transcript time · 00:22:16Read transcript

Leo rankings: this is top three for one host alongside Django and Wolf; Titanic, Basketball Diaries, Romeo and Juliet, Body of Lies and The Beach are also praised.

Approx. transcript time · 00:22:32Read transcript

Cast survey: Damon could play it in his sleep, Walberg is on Southie steroids, Baldwin does an SNL character, Vera seems to drop her accent; Leo played it like a 24-hour panic attack and drew opening-night applause hitting Damon on the roof.

Approx. transcript time · 00:23:18Read transcript

One host wears a Patriots mask in protest of Jack Nicholson.

Approx. transcript time · 00:24:45Read transcript

Nobody knew Leo had this in him after romantic roles; he taps Dog Day Afternoon energy; Costigan as a double kid unraveling, bullied the whole movie and botching the porn-theater chase.

Approx. transcript time · 00:25:03Read transcript

Leo getting shot was a 9.5 on the 1-to-G-baby shocking-death scale at the Chinese theater in 2006; a spouse watching again had forgotten; it is like Dreyfus rather than Shaw being eaten in Jaws.

Approx. transcript time · 00:27:28Read transcript

Infernal Affairs lets the bad guy survive; Schoonmaker's editing Oscar is defended because the death shock is designed in the cutting.

Approx. transcript time · 00:29:44Read transcript

Recreates the first-pod theory: Costigan lives completely vulnerable while Colin is a complete construction reaching for the Golden Dome, two ways of facing the world, raw nerve or performing sociopath.

Approx. transcript time · 00:31:41Read transcript

Remake of 2002's Infernal Affairs, loosely based on Boston's Winter Hill Gang, with Costello based on Whitey Bulger; Hollywood's failures with Bulger, including Black Mass, are called disgraceful.

Approx. transcript time · 00:34:01Read transcript

A $90 million budget mostly on actors and $291.5 million gross redefined Scorsese as a hitmaker worth $100 million per production, leading to HBO's blank check for Vinyl.

Approx. transcript time · 00:35:08Read transcript

They have only done two movies twice; no re-re-Departed unless Russillo does it, but a "re-reheat" with Michael Mann is dreamed of.

Approx. transcript time · 01:55:26Read transcript

Closing: the original Departed podcast is on Spotify; thanks to Sean, Chris and producer Craig Horlebeck.

Approx. transcript time · 01:56:35Read transcript

The Departed | The Rewatchables

aired August 17, 2017

host Bill Simmons host Chris Ryan

Explore episodeClose episode

Producer credits not yet identified.

Apex Mountain

No affirmative selection

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 00:04:33Read transcript

The four stars’1997 achievements are contrasted with this film, and Apex Mountain is declined as nobody’s apex.

Most Rewatchable Scene

The opening briefing; the rooftop meeting and death

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 00:09:06Read transcript

The Nicholson–DiCaprio confrontation repeatedly asking whether he is still a cop is nominated.
Queenan’s rooftop death and body fall are nominated.
Wahlberg killing Matt Damon at the end is nominated.
Sullivan calling Costigan on Queenan’s dead phone is nominated.
Costigan’s sudden elevator death is nominated and remembered for making the theater gasp.
The opening briefing with DiCaprio, Baldwin and Wahlberg is explicitly selected as most rewatchable.
The rooftop meeting with Queenan is described as the part one host always watches, including Queenan’s fall and the reaction afterward.

Casting What-Ifs

Reported or imagined alternatives: Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Denis Leary, Pacino, De Niro, Gibson, and RZA; uncertain Nicholson improvisation stories

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 00:14:38Read transcript

Brad Pitt was reportedly set for the Damon part, dropped out, and produced instead.
Ray Leota was reportedly set for Dignam but could not do it.
Denis Leary was the next reported Dignam possibility and also could not do it.
Al Pacino was the first reported Costello choice and is debated as an alternate.
Robert De Niro reportedly declined Queenan to make The Good Shepherd.
Mel Gibson reportedly could not play the Alec Baldwin part because he was filming Apocalypto.
RZA was reportedly offered the Anthony Anderson role.
Nicholson’s proposed prostitute scene and retained dildo improvisation are presented with explicit uncertainty.

What’s Aged the Best?

DiCaprio versus Damon, the delayed title, Baldwin and Wahlberg’s department, the cranberry-juice scene, Costello’s death, Dropkick Murphys, and contemporary Boston sports links

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 00:17:36Read transcript

The contrast between DiCaprio and Damon is praised.
The title arriving about eighteen minutes into the movie is praised.
Costigan’s jail workout is part of the delayed-title sequence.
Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg running an internal-affairs-on-internal-affairs department is praised.
The cranberry-juice confrontation is praised as a perfect scene.
Costello’s death is nominated.
Dropkick Murphys entering with the title is praised.
The Dropkick Murphys cue is linked to the closer transcribed Papoban and the Red Sox era.

What’s Aged the Worst?

T9 pocket texting

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 00:21:24Read transcript

Nicholson’s entire performance is nominated as aged worst.
Mark Wahlberg’s hair is criticized.
Costigan’s panic and handling of the Citizens Bank envelope are questioned against his established intelligence.
Costigan’s plan to trap Matt Damon’s character on the same roof where Queenan died is questioned.
Damon sending a complicated T9 text in his pocket is the explicit winner, with agreement, and is considered implausible and dated.
The Chinese-microchip subplot is dismissed as confusing.
Scorsese’s third use of “Gimme Shelter” is criticized as overuse despite other strong Stones choices.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Mark Rolston and Kevin Corrigan remain split choices after nominees Ray Winstone, James Badge Dale, Anthony Anderson, and David O’Hara.

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 00:25:32Read transcript

Ray Winstone is nominated as Mr. French, with debate over whether the role should have gone to an even bigger actor.
James Badge Dale is nominated as Trooper Barrigan.
Anthony Anderson is nominated as a 2006 That Guy who later became a name.
David O'Hara is nominated as Fitsy.
Mark Rostin is one host’s winner because of his Shawshank identity as Boggs.
Kevin Corrigan is the other host’s winner as the perfect Costigan cousin.
The hosts end by agreeing to disagree rather than naming co-winners.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Winstone and Nicholson’s friction, Nicholson’s Red Sox/Celtics refusal, DiCaprio’s project choice, accent coach Jay Giannone, profanity, and Wahlberg drawing on people who arrested him

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 00:28:40Read transcript

Ray Winstone reportedly said he and Nicholson did not get along during filming.
Nicholson reportedly refused a Red Sox hat and banned Celtics hats on set.
DiCaprio left The Good Shepherd to make The Departed.
DiCaprio’s Boston accent coach is named as Jay Giannone.
The film is reported to use “fuck” or derivatives 238 times.
Wahlberg reportedly based Dignam on a compilation of people who arrested him as a youth.

Unintentional Comedy Award

Nicholson running

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 00:35:46Read transcript

Scorsese’s repeated “Gimme Shelter” use is nominated through jokes about placing the song over other films.
Costello’s dildo is nominated.
The flip phones are nominated as funny in retrospect.
Sullivan’s impotence material and Baldwin’s “mine’s working overtime” line are nominated.
Nicholson’s three-second run is selected as the funniest moment.

Picking Nits

Costigan accepting undercover erasure, the impossible statehouse view, the central romance, Madolyn’s inaction, an intentionally forgettable killer, Queenan missing Sullivan, and the literal final rat

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 00:38:32Read transcript

Costigan’s willingness to accept the undercover assignment and identity erasure is questioned.
Damon’s character’s impossible statehouse apartment view is questioned.
Whether Costigan and the doctor would get together is questioned and then accepted through a larger reading of Costigan and Damon’s character as opposing ways of living.
the doctor not turning Damon’s character in after Costigan’s death is questioned.
Casting a forgettable actor as Costigan’s killer is debated against using a more famous face that would telegraph his purpose.
Queenan’s failure to suspect Damon’s character despite obvious suspicious behavior is questioned.
The literal rat at the end is criticized as an overly explicit symbol, then partly defended as a closing bow.

The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie

The job/other-guy exchange and other insults are nominated; Two weeks with pay receives explicit favorite status, and the prescription/scotch retort is the separate answer.

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 00:45:23Read transcript

The cranberry-juice exchange is nominated.
The guy who does his job / the other guy exchange is nominated without adding a character attribution absent from the cited segment.
Dignam’s “maybe, maybe not, maybe fuck yourself” and dead-phone lines are nominated.
Costello’s environment line and other aphorisms are nominated.
The world needs plenty of bartenders is nominated; the immediately following Two weeks with pay receives the explicit favorite status.
Costigan’s request for two pills and joke about scotch and a handgun is another favorite.

Who Won the Movie?

Leonardo DiCaprio

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 00:47:14Read transcript

The choice is Leo, followed by agreement on Leo winning the movie.
Mark Wahlberg is described as overwhelming on early viewings before the preference shifts to DiCaprio.
Matt Damon is praised for his creep performance and as the structural counterpart.
Nicholson is said to lose the movie because of excess.

Podcast choices

Speaker not identified: Leonardo DiCaprio
Speaker not identified: Leonardo DiCaprio

More from the conversation

The costly all-star ensemble is praised against a newer model of one or two expensive leads and cheaper supporting casts. The speakers speculate about salary-heavy budgeting and New York tax-credit filming; each star appears determined to dominate limited screen time.

Approx. transcript time · 00:03:34Read transcript

The1997 career peaks of Wahlberg, Damon, DiCaprio and Nicholson are contrasted with2006: Damon is established in franchises, DiCaprio is proving range after Titanic, and Nicholson is entering an unusual late-career villain role.

Approx. transcript time · 00:04:33Read transcript

Scorsese’s Oscar win is weighed against earlier missed opportunities and the competing2006 nominees; the speakers accept The Departed as the best choice while noting a makeup-award feeling. DiCaprio’s Blood Diamond campaign instead of this film is criticized.

Approx. transcript time · 00:06:55Read transcript

The Departed, Wolf and Django are named as three favorite DiCaprio performances without an internal ranking; The Revenant is characterized as a physically demanding awards performance.

Approx. transcript time · 00:08:49Read transcript

The panel ranks seven Boston accents into yes/maybe/no-way groups: Damon and Wahlberg lead; Baldwin and DiCaprio are debated; Sheen, Farmiga, and Nicholson are criticized. This is a structured discussion, but no formal category or flex cue is spoken.

Approx. transcript time · 00:29:46Read transcript

After the winner, the panel argues that Nicholson loses the movie through a loose, inconsistent performance and accent, while acknowledging that his entertaining excess may help rewatchability.

Approx. transcript time · 00:48:19Read transcript

DiCaprio and Damon swapping roles is tested; the panel thinks Damon could play Costigan but DiCaprio could not play Sullivan as effectively.

Approx. transcript time · 00:53:08Read transcript

Dignam killing Sullivan is praised for the outfit and catharsis; reported Departed 2 pitches involving Wahlberg are discussed.

Approx. transcript time · 00:54:19Read transcript

The panel argues that The Departed’s flaws and loose ends help make it rewatchable, contrasting its roller-coaster quality with the tighter No Country for Old Men and the deliberateness of Heat.

Approx. transcript time · 00:55:51Read transcript

Infernal Affairs is recommended as entertaining and tighter than the remake.

Approx. transcript time · 00:59:06Read transcript