#7. I Knew it Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale

John CazaleI Knew It Was You PosterJohn Cazale deserved better than this. What amounts to nothing more than a dvd special feature, I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale is an inspired attempt at introducing the world to a forgotten master. The problem is director Richard Shepard employs silly technical choices and bi-polar editing that doesn’t quite fit the subject matter. Chronicling the life and death of one of Hollywood’s greatest actors John Cazale, for probably the first time ever, is put up on a podium. The man acted in five films, all of which were nominated for best picture, before he died of cancer in 1978. Perhaps best remembered for his performance as black sheep brother Fredo Corleone in both The Godfather and The Godfather part II, the man had such understated passion that his eyes could take you to your knees. Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep and many other notable guests appear in the documentary to give us some insight into who Cazale really was on and off screen, offering up some sincerely poignant moments. The film is bizarrely put together however, with foolish design decisions that serve no purpose other than to distract. I Knew It Was You succeeds despite itself, proving just how compelling Cazale could actually be.