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Paid in Full

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Paid in Full (2002)

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Reviews Counted:41

Fresh:21

Rotten:20

Average Rating:5.8/10

Consensus: Though well-acted and non-exploitative, Paid in Full treads a very well-worn story.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for violence, pervasive language, some strong sexuality and drug content

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Oct 25, 2002 Wide

Box Office: $3,042,188

Synopsis: 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... 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. [More]

Starring: Wood Harris, Cam'ron, Mekhi Phifer, Chi McBride

Starring: Wood Harris, Cam'ron, Mekhi Phifer, Chi McBride, Esai Morales, Regina Hall, Kevin Carroll, Elise Neal

Director: Charles Stone

Director: Charles Stone
Screenwriter: Austin Phillips, Azie Faison, Matthew Cirulnick, Thulani Davis
Producer: Damon Dash, Jay Z, Brett Ratner
Composer: Vernon Reid, Frank Fitzpatrick
Studio: Dimension Films

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Release:

Apr 8, 2003

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • 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.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Paid in Full

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    Harris and Phifer's chemistry lends the inevitable tragedies some genuine punch.

    Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
    01/27/09
    Michael Dequina
    Michael Dequina
    TheMovieReport.com

    "Paid In Full" is not the kind of movie that George W. Bush will ever see.

    comment Comment
    11/21/05
    Cole Smithey
    Cole Smithey
    ColeSmithey.com

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    08/17/05
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
    05/28/03
    Newsday
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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    Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
    02/17/03
    Hollywood.com
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    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
    11/20/02
    Los Angeles Daily News
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    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
    11/18/02
    Boston Phoenix
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    Stone seems to have a knack for wrapping the theater in a cold blanket of urban desperation.

    Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
    11/15/02
    Phil Villarreal
    Phil Villarreal
    Arizona Daily Star

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    Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
    11/05/02
    Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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    Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
    11/03/02
    Susan Stark
    Susan Stark
    Detroit News
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    For a rapsploitation film to target and frown upon the darker forces of its nature is certainly a good sign for the maturation of the genre.

    Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
    11/03/02
    Mark Keizer
    Mark Keizer
    Boxoffice Magazine
    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Orlando Weekly | comment Comment
    10/31/02
    Orlando Weekly
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    I'm going to give it a marginal thumbs up. I liked it just enough.

    Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
    10/29/02
    Richard Roeper
    Richard Roeper
    Ebert & Roeper
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    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
    10/29/02
    Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Very familiar, yes, but a stylish and above all well-acted tale of friendships gone sour and the inevitable steep price of crime -- a much better movie than it’s ever going to get credit for.

    Full Review Source: Entertainment Today | comment Comment
    10/28/02
    Brent Simon
    Brent Simon
    Entertainment Today

    The story is familiar from its many predecessors; like them, it eventually culminates in the not-exactly -stunning insight that crime doesn't pay.

    Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
    10/28/02
    Jim Lane
    Jim Lane
    Sacramento News & Review
    N/R

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    Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
    10/27/02
    Cynthia Fuchs
    Cynthia Fuchs
    PopMatters
    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
    10/26/02
    Houston Chronicle
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    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
    10/26/02
    Arizona Republic
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    This is a heartfelt mea culpa -- which gives Paid in Full much of its unexpected emotional power.

    Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
    10/26/02
    Shirley Sealy
    Shirley Sealy
    Film Journal International
     
     
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