Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Theatrical Release: 10/25/2002(USA)
Release Date: 04/08/2003
Sound: DD5.1
Run Time: 98 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Strong Sexual Content, Profanity, Drug Content
Distributor/Studio: Dimension

Paid in Full marks the feature debut of director Charles Stone III, who rose to fame after creating Budweiser's "Wassup" commercials. The urban gangster drama is loosely based on the true story of 1980s Harlem drug kingpins AZ, Rich Porter, and Alpo. (This story was also the basis for a documentary, Game Over (Part 1).) Ace (Wood Harris) works at a laundromat, struggling to get by, while his friend Mitch (Mekhi Phifer) lives the high life selling heroin. His sister's boyfriend, Calvin (Kevin Carroll) also sells drugs, and looks down on Ace for struggling to earn a living. Out delivering laundry one day, Ace meets Lulu (Esai Morales), a big time coke dealer, who lives better than anyone Ace has ever known. When Lulu leaves some coke in the pocket of a coat he's having cleaned, Ace returns it to him, and Lulu rewards him for his honesty by letting him keep the drugs. When Calvin gets busted, Ace hesitantly takes his place in the neighborhood, and starts working for Lulu. As the crack business takes off, Ace finds himself making more money than he knows what to do with. Mitch goes to jail for a short time, where another inmate, Rico (rapper Cam'ron in his acting debut), defends him in a fight. By the time Mitch gets out of prison, Ace is running the neighborhood. Ace makes Mitch his right-hand man, and when Rico gets out of jail, he joins the crew. The drugs and money flow, and Ace tries to keep everyone happy, but there are some who want what's his, and will stop at nothing to get it. Paid in Full was shown at the 2002 Urbanworld Film Festival.

~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

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Cast:
Wood Harris - Ace
Mekhi Phifer - Mitch
Kevin Carroll - Calvin
Esai Morales - Lulu
Chi McBride - Pip
Cam'ron - Rico
Remo Green - Sonny
Cynthia Martells - Dora
Elise Neal - Aunt Jane
Regina Hall - Kiesha

Production:
Charles Stone III - Director
Brett Ratner Damon Dash Shawn Carter - Producer
Lisa Niedenthal - Co Producer
Vernon Reid Frank Fitzpatrick Jermaine Dupri - Composer
Bill Pankow Patricia Bowers - Editor
Matthew Cirulnick Thulani Davis - Screen Writer
Steven Essam - Set Designer
Brandt Gordon - Art Director
Cha-Ka Pilgrim - Associate Producer
Billy Hopkins - Casting
Kerry Barden - Casting
Suzanne Smith - Casting
Paul Sarossy - Cinematographer
Abram Waterhouse - Costume Designer
Suzette Daigle - Costume Designer
Jesse Berdinka - Executive Producer
Ron Rotholz - Executive Producer
David Vaughan - First Assistant Director
David Schulhof - Musical Direction/Supervision
Rich Dickerson - Musical Direction/Supervision
Maher Ahmad - Production Designer
Ao Loo - Sound/Sound Designer
Roy Anderson - Stunts Coordinator
Stephen Barden - Supervising Sound Editor
Brucie B. - Musical Direction/Supervision

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2002 Independent Spirit Awards