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Rating:
Commercial director Charles Stone III makes an impressive feature debut with Paid in Full. The film is based on a true story of three friends who rose to power as crack dealers in Harlem in the 1980s, only to have their lives shattered by betrayal and violence. Stone tells this violent urban tale with economy and grace. Wood Harris (Remember the Titans) as the levelheaded Ace, Mekhi Phifer (Soul Food) as his loyal friend, Mitch, and rapper Cam'ron, making his acting debut as the volatile Rico, deliver very solid performances, allowing Stone to root the materialism and brutal violence and of the film in strong, compelling characters. There's a surprising warmth to the film, as when Ace's girlfriend (Mitch's sister) calls the practical and decidedly un-flashy crack dealer "boring," then softens the blow by telling him, "I'm with you because I'm boring, too." Stone also handles the violence in the film well, by not diluting its impact. At one point, the film asserts the impact of Brian DePalma's Scarface on the lives of these drug dealers, and in the end the story comes full circle by showing how the flashy lifestyles of these tragic characters has influenced contemporary entertainment. The film doesn't convey a specific sense of time and place as well as it might have, but the fine performances, the strong characters, the appropriately gritty treatment of the subject matter, and the trenchant thematic undertones of Paid in Full make it an exceptional crime drama. Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

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