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DVD REVIEW
Paid In Full
(2002)
Starring:
Wood Harris, Mekhi Phifer, Cam'ron
Director: Charles
Stone III
Rating: R
Studio: Dimension Films
Review
Posted: 4.04.03
Spoilers: Minor
Reviewed by
Dennis Landmann
From behind the counter of the dry
cleaner where he works, Ace (Harris) longingly covets the
expensive cars and flashy clothes of his friends, Mitch (Phifer)
and Calvin (Carroll). But with a chance encounter, Ace’s world
is about to dramatically change. On a routine laundry drop-off,
Ace meets Lulu (Morales), whose apartment and elaborate jewelry
hint at a life of luxury. Ace is quickly lured into the
seductive world of drug dealing, where the easy money affords
him a position of power in the illicit underworld. But as his
friends and family become pawns and victims, Ace realizes that
he must pay a high price for his growing success.
Supposedly
based on a true story, Paid in Full, directed by Charles
Stone III, is a pretty straightforward urban drama. Fueled by
two great lead performances, namely Wood Harris (HBO’s The
Wire) and Mekhi Phifer (O), and a supporting role
played by eccentric newcomer Cam’ron, the film succeeds on most
levels. While I don’t consider this film more original than
other films of its kind, Paid in Full adds its own style
and history to the genre. The film place in Harlem during 80s
and chronicles the path of a young man whose “live and maintain”
attitude and drug connections make him a lot of money. However,
with all the fame and respect, good things soon turn out for the
worse. It is this kind of formula that is most common among
these types of (almost wannabe) dramas.
Paid in
Full
is based on an earlier screenplay by Azie Faison Jr. and Austin
Phillips. Just like James Cameron’s True Lies script is
based on previous work, here Matthew Cirulnick and Thulani Davis
adapted the earlier work and scripted their own. The script’s
structure is fairly commonplace seeing as how "out of order"
storylines are favorable among the creative minds. It starts out
somewhere in the middle, takes us to the past to introduce the
major players, comes back to the middle, and finally rolls out
to tell the rest of the story. Surprisingly, this technique
worked in favor of Paid in Full. On the other hand,
Scarface seems to be a source of inspiration here and
perhaps there is a little too much of it (not to mention the
actual reference to the film within the film).
Director Charles Stone III offers
an insightful and sad look at the 80s life in Harlem,
specifically the drug trade side of life. Wood Harris is almost
excellent playing Ace, the central character. Supporters Phifer
and Cam’ron make their presence known, too. Paid in Full’s
composers did a very fine job as did rappers Eric B. and Rakim who
provided the pivotal song "Paid in Full" in the film.
The script is
fairly good, but the dialogue is really repetitive and dull. In
fact, much of the dialogue consists of phrases like
"you know," "man," "yo," "B," "nigga," "baby," etc. I’d assume
the actors adlibbed most of these phrases, but at some point,
and it’s well after the 30 minute mark of the 98-minute running
time, that the repetitiveness gets the worst of you and influences
your overall enjoyment of the film.
7 out of 10
For a film
taking place during the 80s, but obviously photographed after
that timeframe, the video transfer is actually pretty good.
Presented in widescreen format 1.85:1 and enhanced for 16x9
televisions, the quality of the print retains its colors and
provides a clear picture. Most dark scenes don’t suffer from any
distortions, but some scenes did. Nevertheless, the overall
reaction to this transfer is pretty good and should aid the
experience when watching the film.
8 out of 10
Available
in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Pain in Full makes
its impact only slightly known. The Dolby track produces a lot
of noise, but much of it is usually emitted from the front
speakers. Only during a few instances did I notice the rear
speakers emitting sounds.
7
out of 10
Commentary
by director – Charles Stone III is obviously very passionate
about this film and makes this known during the commentary. His
comments range from technical information, praise for cast and
crew, character motivation, locations, etc. While it is an
overall easy listen, the commentary is the only extra on this
DVD and therefore not 100% worth the effort in my mind.
This is
it. Not even a trailer is included, by now a mandatory thing. No
effort is present here.
3 out of 10
When you
have a film with an outstanding performance, by Wood Harris, a
pretty personal story, based on true events, and a fine
soundtrack, one particular song by Eric B. and Rakim, you should be in good
company. This would be true, but only if it weren’t for the lame
dialogue. With fairly decent transfers in video and audio and a
fairly good film, despite a decent commentary as the only extra,
this DVD should be
"considered" as a rental.
Overall DVD Rating: 6 out of 10
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