Set in the early 1980s, this entry in the African-American urban gangster genre puts character development in the front seat for a change as it rolls through the Harlem streets on its usual rise-and-fall route. Ace (Wood Harris) starts out a laundry delivery guy, but thanks to a chance encounter with a Latin coke dealer (Esai Morales), he quickly works his way to the top of a drug empire. Mitch (Mekhi Phifer) is his more extroverted, colorful pal, the "born hustler" whose bravado hides a tragic family life. For a while the money just keeps rolling in and everyone's happy, but then comes the inevitable turn to tragedy, heralded by the arrival of the brash, trigger-happy Rico (rapper Cam'ron in his screen debut). A sensitive script and moody direction by Charles Stone III allows PAID IN FULL to sidestep a lot of the cliched glamour of similar films. The violence is realistically depicted, and the ultimate emptiness and paranoia of the lifestyle is allowed to manifest slowly through a nice, low-key performance by Harris. Roc-a-Fella mogul Damon Dash produced, based on the true story of Harlem drug lords he remembers from his childhood, one of whom even served as a technical advisor.
Theatrical release: October 25, 2002
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic - 1.85
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Charles Stone, III - Director
Interactive Features:
Scene Access
Interactive Menus
Distributor Notes: Paid In Full
Hot stars Mekhi Phifer (8 MILE, SHAFT, TV's ER) and Wood Harris (REMEMBER THE TITANS) team up in an edgy, hard-hitting film with a slammin' soundtrack! Stuck in a nowhere job, Ace (Harris) is a restless teenager who envies the expensive cars, flashy clothes, and high-rolling lifestyle of his drug-dealing friends. Then when he sees his chance, Ace makes the move that suddenly changes his life! Drawn by the seductive lure of easy money in the illicit Harlem underground, he uses his skills to quickly take control of the streets and seize all the power than comes with it! Also starring rap star Cam'ron (WOO) and Chi McBride (GONE IN 60 SECONDS, TV's BOSTON PUBLIC) -- you don't want to miss this gripping look at chasing the American dream ... from the wrong side of the tracks!
Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
Director of Photography
Paul Sarossy: Director of Photography
Review 1:
"...[Phifer] is electric and true..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.51 11/01/2002
Review 2:
"...Anchoring the film with quiet, awkward intensity is Wood Harris..."
Source: Box Office
p.56 12/01/2002
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