Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino recently sparked debate wiht candid critiques of fellow actors during an appearance on “the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast,” where he ranked his top 20 films of the 21st century[[2]]. Known for his distinctive directorial style and outspoken personality[[3]],tarantino leveled especially sharp criticism at Paul Dano’s performance in Paul thomas Anderson’s there Will Be Blood,questioning its impact on the film’s overall quality[[1]]. The director’s remarks, which resurfaced a previous 2017 assessment of the performance, are drawing attention to the subjective nature of artistic evaluation.
Quentin Tarantino didn’t hold back when discussing some of his Hollywood peers, sharply criticizing two actors in a recent podcast appearance. The famously outspoken director, known for his distinctive filmmaking style, delivered his critiques with characteristic bluntness.
Tarantino was a guest on Bret Easton Ellis’s podcast, where he was tasked with ranking his 20 favorite films of the 21st century. The conversation quickly turned to specific performances, and the director didn’t shy away from sharing his strong opinions.
He placed Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood at number five on his list, but suggested it could have ranked even higher if not for one key performance. “Daniel Day-Lewis is great. I also appreciate the old-school craftsmanship of the film. It had the feel of classic Hollywood without trying to be. It’s the only movie he’s done, and I told him this, that doesn’t have a set piece,” Tarantino explained, referring to a carefully planned and visually impactful scene. “The fire is the closest thing to a set piece. He was dealing with narrative, with the story, and he did it incredibly well.”
However, Tarantino didn’t mince words when it came to Paul Dano’s role in the film. “There Will Be Blood could be number one or two if it weren’t for a big, huge problem… and that problem is Paul Dano. It’s obviously supposed to be a two-character movie, but it’s drastically obvious that it isn’t. Dano is really weak. He’s the weak link. Austin Butler would have been fantastic in that role. He’s a weak, weak, uninteresting actor. The weakest actor in the Screen Actors Guild.”
This isn’t the first time Tarantino has publicly critiqued Dano’s performance. Back in 2017, he stated, “The performance isn’t bad, there’s nothing wrong with it… it just isn’t on the level and caliber of Daniel Day-Lewis, and if the two characters are supposed to be battling throughout the movie, Daniel Day-Lewis is Muhammed Ali and Paul Dano is Jerry Quarry.”
There Will Be Blood, set in early 20th-century California, tells the story of Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis), an ambitious oil prospector, and Eli Sunday (Dano), a local preacher. The film explores themes of greed, religion, and the American dream, and is widely considered a modern classic.
Tarantino also shared his thoughts on Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, ranking it tenth on his list. However, he quickly added, “I actually can’t stand Owen Wilson.”
“The first time I saw the movie, I loved it and hated him. The second time I saw it, I thought, ‘Okay, don’t be such a jerk. It’s not that bad. It’s not that bad.’ And then, the third time I saw it, I found myself watching him,” he confessed.
Tarantino’s top pick was Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down (2001), starring Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, and Eric Bana, a war film depicting a U.S. military operation in Somalia.
Rounding out his top 20 were Toy Story 3, Lost in Translation, Dunkirk, Zodiac, Unstoppable, Mad Max: Fury Road, Death Proof, Bloody Mama, The Villainess, Jackass: The Movie, School of Rock, The Passion of the Christ, Inglourious Basterds, Chocolate, The Cooler, Cabin Fever, and Brokeback Mountain.
