4. Denis Menochet as Perrier LaPadite (Inglourious Basterds)
One of Tarantinos best-written scenes is an early showcase for Christoph Waltzs Oscar-winning talent in Inglourious Basterds, but hardly anyone ever mentions the poor Gallic soul sitting opposite him. The scene I speak of is, of course, the one in which Waltzs Nazi officer Hans Landa bursts into a French farmhouse to alternately charm the pants off then threaten Menochets good Samaritan, as he searches for a Jewish family in hiding. Menochet gives a quiet, subtle portrayal of a man struggling internally, torn between his love for his children and his loyalty to an innocent family hidden under his floorboards. As Menochet breaks into tears, its a rare glimpse at genuine emotion in a Tarantino picture.