I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale (2009) User Reviews

worthy profile

[didi-5 · 8/10 · 17 October 2009]

John Cazale only made five films - but all classics. The Godfather, The Godfather II, The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon, The Deer Hunter. A superb actor, he died early and has largely been forgotten.

However this touching and incisive tribute goes some way to addressing that. Showing footage from his films interspersed with talking heads of film critics, colleagues (Coppola, Pacino), former fiancée (Meryl Streep, who is gracious in her praise), this profile is excellent, highlighting his theatre career and his influence on those who worked with him or saw his performances.

There is little doubt that Cazale had the makings of greatness, despite being unconventionally good-looking. He's always been an actor I've noticed, particularly as Fredo in The Godfather and Sal in Dog Day Afternoon. This film hints at what could have been had he lived.

A short but sweet documentary, 'I Knew It Was You' is well worth a look if you are a fan of classic cinema, whether you're aware of Cazale's work or not.

A good overdue tribute to a could have been great who's life ended to short.

[blanbrn · 8/10 · 2 June 2010]

Just watched this doc on HBO even though short it was informative, moving, and a nice tribute to a fallen great that many people don't remember. Unless your probably a major film buff or historian you don't remember John Cazale. Yet Cazale was a good supporting player on many of the historical film classics of the 70's as with his help each film that he appeared in "The Godfather", "Godfather II", "The Conversation", "Dog Day Afternoon", and "The Deer Hunter" all received academy award nominations for best picture. The doc also tells of his humble start on Broadway as a struggling actor as he worked his way up to get noticed. Interviews and insights are given from greats like Steve Buscemi, Coppola, De Niro, Dreyfuss, Sidney Lumet, Al Pacino, and Gene Hackman. Also revealing and touching is the interview with the great Meryl Streep who had a brief romance with John on the set of his last film "The Deer Hunter"(1978), this is when Cazale would learn he was eat up with bone cancer and die shortly thereafter. Touching tribute that was overdue and it educated and informed many who didn't know anything about John Cazale as it showed if he had lived as to what might have been.

An Important Actor from an Important American Period

[theumpteenthtimes · 9/10 · 20 January 2011]

The biggest shock to me when viewing I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale was coming to the realization that this actor, who I had been watching over and over again in some of my favorite films ever, had actually only made five films. Five! The greatest period of American Cinema is undoubtedly the "Hollywood Renaissance," spanning from the introduction of "Easy Rider" up until the blockbuster phenomenon created by films like "Jaws" and "Star Wars," and all five films John Cazale appeared in were made during this creative period in which writers and directors had more to say about what happened in a film than the studio heads. "The Godfather," "The Conversation," "The Godfather Two," "Dog Day Afternoon," "and "The Deer Hunter," the five films that make up the John Cazale catalog, are some of the greatest and most memorable films ever made in this country. And if you don't know who John Cazale is by name, then perhaps you know him by at least one of the five characters he played on screen, most likely the frail, weakest son of the Corleone family in The Godfather, "Fredo."

Just about anyone and everyone that ever acted or worked with Cazale appears in this documentary, including Al Pacino, Robert Deniro, Gene Hackman, Francis Ford Coppola, Fred Roos, Sidney Lumet, Carol Kane, Jon Savage, Richard Dreyfuss, Israel Horovitz, Olympia Dukakis and Meryl Streep, who we learn had a longstanding love affair with Cazale and was with him until he died of lung cancer at 42. Younger actors like Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi, who grew up watching Cazale's films, also contribute, helping to articulate Cazale's relevance. With this caliber of contributors, this film quickly gets to the crux of who Cazale was as actor, as well as a human being. And though this documentary is only an hour long (It was made for HBO), it is still a dense, powerful story of a man, an actor, that was able to make a permanent mark on American Cinema that will resonate for as long as movies exist.

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"Reel" Film Reviews for Real Moviegoers

A Tribute to John Cazale

[Rodrigo_Amaro · 10/10 · 3 April 2010]

Fredo in the two first episodes of "The Godfather" films; Sal in the acclaimed "Dog Day Afternoon"; Stan in the wonderful "The Conversation" and another character named Stan in "The Deer Hunter". Only five movies to make John Cazale a recognizable face in the 1970's. As it was showed in this brilliant documentary he's known by his work and his character and not much by his name. Sadly he died very young and didn't had the chance to show his great talent in more movies.

In "I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale" we see the Cazale in multiple faces, as a cinema actor, as a stage actor, the married man (married with Meryl Streep) and the excellent human being he was. Actors and directors who met him like Robert De Niro, Sidney Lumet, Francis Ford Coppola, Gene Hackman and Meryl Streep and fans of his work like Sam Rockwell, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Steve Buscemi, Brett Ratner and many others paid a tribute to this honored actor who gaves us so much in such a shortened life. They talk about their favorite moments with him on and off screen, how he has in person, and his final moments before dying of cancer.

Many people don't know but all of his five movies are listed in IMDb 250 greatest movies of all time and also included in AFI's list. Unfortunately he didn't received the attention he deserved in life, wasn't nominated for an Academy Award and only received one nomination to the Golden Globes (Actor in a Supporting role for "Dog Day Afternoon"), but his performances lasted long enough to be presented to many generations. Very good documentary. 10/10

Supporting Star

[Prismark10 · 10/10 · 4 October 2013]

In the days before the internet a popular question to film magazines was: 'Whatever happened to John Cazale?'

People who first saw him in The Godfather films and then saw him pop up in Dog Day Afternoon, The Conversation and The Deer Hunter were flummoxed that this brilliant, distinctive looking actor came out from nowhere, appeared in the great films of the 1970s and then promptly disappeared.

If John Cazale were still alive now he would be a celebrated actor and likely to have Oscar and Tony awards under his belt.

Unfortunately Cazale died of cancer in 1978. He left a legacy in movie history of five performances in five films that were all nominated for the Best Picture Oscars, three of them actually winning the Best Picture Oscar.

Actors, friends, family, collaborators discuss John Cazale, his life on screen and stage where he was also a celebrated performer. For the first time you get to find out a little more of John Cazale the man and performer.

Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and for his first appearance on screen in several years, Gene Hackman all reminiscence about him.

I'm Shmaaaart!!!!!!

[highclark · 7/10 · 13 August 2011]

Yeah, it's great to revisit the mammoth talent that was John Cazale, but the best thing about this DVD is the two black and white films that are to be found in the extras section. These films show John as an up and coming actor and as a cameraman. These two films are largely surrealistic attempts at social commentary or in visual puns. Both are excellent and should have captured a larger audience's attention.

But the main feature, the documentary, it is good, a little short, but good nonetheless. I read that Talia Shire's interview footage wasn't used. That's too bad, the film makers could have used a few extra minutes to pad this documentary out.

Great for novice film buffs and for fans of Cazale.

A lovely portrait of a great and gifted actor who left us much too soon

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 30 December 2010]

John Cazale was a lanky and sad-faced character actor who specialized in portraying weak guys and wasn't afraid to dig deep into the pain, anguish, darkness, and vulnerability that defined these guys. He only acted in five movies, but they are all uniformly superb pictures that are now correctly regarded as classics: The first two "The Godfather" films (in which Cazale is simply astounding as the hapless and pathetic Fredo), "The Conversation," "Dog Day Afternoon" (he's both funny and scary as the volatile Sal), and, his cinematic swan song, "The Deer Hunter." The middle of three children born to a wholesale coal salesman and a homemaker, Cazale made his debut debut in the amusing comedy short "The American Way" and acted in various Off-Broadway plays prior to securing the choice role of Fredo in "The Godfather." His peers Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, John Savage, and Robert De Niro remember him as an intense and diligent actor who was a great inspiration, asked a lot of questions, and gave a good give and take. Playwright Israel Horovitz notes that John was one of those rare individuals with absolute integrity and reads a beautifully poignant and eloquent eulogy about his untimely passing from lung cancer at age 42. Meryl Streep relates some especially touching stories about Cazale and stuck right by him to the very end (Cazale was terminally ill when he acted in "The Deer Hunter" and died prior to the movie being completed). Admirors Steve Buscemi, Sam Rockwell, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are all quite warm and generous in their appraisal of Cazale's extraordinary work. First and foremost, John was the sort of remarkable transformational thespian who elevated the quality of all those fortunate enough to work with him. Moreover, we also learn that John had beautiful girlfriends, chainsmoked cigarettes excessively, and had a really raunchy sense of humor. An excellent, affecting, and illuminating tribute to a consummate actor's actor.

it takes a lot of courage to play the losers and weirdos - that was John Cazale

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 23 November 2016]

Like the man's life, this doc is too short (I thought for some reason it was going to be a feature). The material is the basic stuff of a retrospective and tribute with interviews by collaborators and fans (and certainly some names you probably heard of: Pacino, De Niro, Streep, Sam Rockwell, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sidney Lumet, uh, Brett Ratner, sure why not) that go into what this man was like as they knew him from being in person (Streep was married to him for a brief time, she's actually his widow) and from simply watching the Godfather parts 1 and 2 five hundred times.

But, man, what an actor and what a career! Sometimes in those luckiest windows of time and in opportunity (don't forget the luck part of it), quality trumps quantity, and in this case Cazale had one of the major careers in 70's American cinema. It must be akin to one of those early rock and rollers from the 50's (Buddy Holly or the Big Bopper or whoever) who you know when listening to their music it's so pure and raw and emotional and that so many others have borrowed from them, and it's a true tragedy from the abyss of nothingness that they're taken so young.

Good stuff though, again, I wish it was a little longer, like even a short feature instead of this long-short film stuff. But some wonderful breakdowns of these scenes he had as Fredo and the long-haired WTF in Dog Day Afternoon and even the sadness he brought to his small role in The Conversation. A lot of time actors try to go big or go home, or take on roles that will show off what they can DO on CAMERA. Cazale never did that, and one wonders this man in dramas in the 80's and 90's and beyond.

Excellent Documentary with All-Star Cast

[Michael_Elliott · 27 March 2012]

I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale (2009)

**** (out of 4)

Excellent documentary covering the five films that John Cazale made during his short life. THE GODFATHER, THE CONVERSATION, THE GODFATHER PART II, DOG DAY AFTERNOON and THE DEER HUNTER are discussed in regards to how Cazale got the parts as well as what he did with them. I think it says a lot about how much people cared for him when you see the names that turned out to be interviewed for this 40-minute documentary. Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, Gene Hackman, Francis Ford Coppola, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brett Ratner, Sidney Lumet, Sam Rockwell, Carol Kane, John Savage and Steve Buscemi are among the group gathered for the interviews. That's a mighty impressive list to discuss a man who only appeared in five movies but it's clear that they all loved working with this man. There are countless great stories told about Cazale not only in the movies but also his time on the stage. We hear a few details about his early life but mostly we stick to his movies. We get clips from each of them as people talk about what made the scene so special and how they felt Cazale was able to make those around him so much better. Pacino tells a great story about how Cazale would start scenes on DOG DAY AFTERNOON and it's quite funny. There's also talk about him meeting Streep and marrying her, which of course leads to a discussion on his lung cancer and death at such a young age. The title using "rediscovering" is perfectly used because if you're not familiar with Cazale then this documentary does a great job at making you see why he was so special. If you're familiar with these five films then watching this will just make you want to see them again.

What a treat!

[rrb · 9/10 · 31 October 2014]

This is a must-see for any fan of 70s movies, or anyone who, like me, grew up in 70s and saw Cazale's films when they first opened. The walk down memory lane provided by the footage of the Godfather films, The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon and Deer Hunter alone make it worthwhile. But the real treasure, of course, is the chance to revisit Cazale's performances. It sounds clichéd, but there really is no actor like him. It's also marvelous to see the host of the mega-talented actors and directors, including every luminary he worked with, participate & pay tribute to this singular talent. It's a shame there isn't more footage of him, and that he apparently never did a recorded interview. We only see Cazale through the lens of his characters - we never get to see him as just himself.

Insightful

[Billiam-4 · 6/10 · 24 August 2021]

Insightful, but much too short celebration of a great actor; lots of famous actors of equal talent get to pay homage; makes you want re-watch all of John Cazale's films.

Tribute to a terrific actor.

[SHB_73 · 10/10 · 8 March 2012]

When you think of legendary movie actors names such as Brando, Pacino, De Niro, and Duvall are some that come to mind. But one that rarely, if ever gets mentioned is John Cazale. In the opening scene in this documentary ordinary people on the street are shown a picture of the Godfather cast and while they can name the actors playing their respected parts. the one they don't know is John Cazale who played Fredo Corleone. Cazale only acted in 5 feature films (The Godfathers I & II, Dog Day Afternoon, The Conversation, and The Deer Hunter). He was 42 when he died of lung cancer in 1978, but his impact on movies is still felt today and I feel that had he lived he would be talked in the same breath as his friend and acting legend Al Pacino who along with De Niro and Meryl Streep (who was at one time engaged to Cazale before his death) pay tribute to him as well as actors whom he influenced such as Steve Buscemi and Sam Rockwell. This documentary is worth watching to let people know about the man who could have given us so much more had he not died so young. Rest in Peace John Cazale.

Too short--in all regards

[zacknabo · 6/10 · 18 September 2017]

It is good that this picture exists. Don't get me wrong. John Cazale was one of the purest "character" actors of his generation. But Cazale is due something much longer and more comprehensive than the mere 40 minutes he is allotted here. It covers just enough in 40 minutes but it will undoubtedly leave any viewer wanting more--quite a parallel to a fantastic life and career cut short.

Great piece and informative.

[mcan1996 · 10/10 · 20 October 2013]

This is a beautiful documentary about an unknown actor who somehow you can manage to remember his face and previous roles but don't know his name. John Cazale... A genius. This documentary is not a cheap one. If you watch (I definitely recommend)you will see tones of famous actors who worked with the John Cazale in the years of Illimunated Hollywood (1970s).

Even though i watched his works before (Deerhunter,Dog Day Afternoon, Godfather 1&2, The Conversation) I never realized that he is one of the most important actors in the history of 70s. He was just another guy. But after this short i realized that his intention was to be the other guy. The stranger, unwanted one, dumb character, bad son. These were the roles that made him a known actor at that time.

I also wanted to add that i wasn't thinking that actors have so much work in a movie besides the film crew and directors before watching this film. Now, (Thanks to John Cazale) i believe that a simple character can add magnificent taste to a scene (with his gesture, making it look like real life and showing singularity with his character.)

This is must watch film for liberated Hollywood fans.

A great documentary about a great actor

[Horst_In_Translation · 8/10 · 14 July 2015]

Unfortunately this one here was fairly short just like Cazale's life. Actually, in terms of minutes, it's almost than the age that he had in years when he succumbed to his cancer. The director is Richard Shepard and he won an Emmy and DGA award for directing the pilot episode of "Ugly Betty". Right now, he is mostly working on "Girls". So with female central characters in these two, this documentary is exactly the opposite. It tells us about the great late actor John Cazale, who would have turned 80 this year. I like that there is no real narration in this documentary, but that we get basically all the information from interviewees. And there is a healthy mix too. Some of these are people who worked with Cazale in his films, such as De Niro, Pacino, Hackman, Coppola... and of course Meryl Streep who was his girlfriend back in the 1970s. Others are actors who did not, but who were greatly inspired by his talent, such as Steve Buscemi, who always reminded me a bit of Cazale, and Sam Rockwell. Some people say Cazale has the most perfect body of work in film history and that's certainly a possibility. There is no real flaw in everything he acted. Another thing that is very good in this documentary is that it is not a problem if you haven't seen all his classics. There are no real spoilers in here, so you can enjoy this documentary nonetheless. And I hope you will enjoy it was much as I did. Highly recommended.