Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Brooklynn There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

eric262003 Director Matthew Cooke indicates just like the urban structure has told us over the years that any average Joe or Jane can sell drugs. All it takes is some brief knowledge and mathematics, a little bravery to sell this illegal product and a slight disrespect for any social laws. But like in any business, we all start rock bottom to get to the top or in the drug trafficking business, from the corner to the shipload. "How to Make Money Selling Drugs" focuses on the grim enterprise on one of the government's most disdainful antagonist by explaining in an arcade visual the proper steps to start from the bottom of the ladder to working your way to the top of the enterprise in documentary that is both captivating, even though shallow at some points.Backed up by myriad of ex drug kingpins from various locations as they explain their tricks to the respected trades as they narrate how they started as ragged teens who have abandoned their previous life coming from broken homes as an escape to start a new life. At least a better life than what they had already. From the rough and rugged gangs of Los Angeles, to the despotic outskirts of Florida, all the up to the frozen tundra of Alaska, drugs are selling faster than candy, but it's the quick cash that gets people into the industry. Refraining from any family support or the chances of obtaining a decent education, many people enter this dangerous and illegal enterprise primarily as an escape from their previous life in the doldrums as the only place to turn to make ends meet. It's a dark paradise for them. What I mean dark paradise is that the job is grim, the clients are intimidating, your life is on the line, but if your stuff sells, the money couldn't be more sweeter. While it's hard to find a job, people turn to drugs because it's easy to apply and the payoffs are quite rewarding. Cooke's loyal subjects lived the life for many years and each of them suffered their own fall, but Cooke refrains from narrating about their struggles, but instead to examine their contrasting methods to achieve success in the underground atmosphere of selling drugs.The subtle tongue and cheek humour in its showcase for drug trafficking derives in the same balance as Eugene Jarecki's "The House I Live In". But while Jarecki leans towards truths that stem from his own personal experiences, Cooke leads his documentary with a grimace until we reach the unpredictable climax about the real truth of what happens after ones rags to riches in the soliciting industry. Near the end law enforcers, attorneys and David Simon, creator of "The Wire" reveal what kind of sentences are faced when entering this kind of business and to add more flames to the fume, they hire hip-hop legends like 50 Cent and Eminem as decoys to prove their point across.Sure 50 Cent experienced what the drug life was about, and Eminem tried a few life threatening substances of his own, but I see no logic why they brought hip-hop artists into the mix. It brings about a bad cliché that all hip-hip artists have taken drugs before coming clean which is totally untrue. Cooke's take on the steps to become a successful trafficker to which leads to it all being taken away to the consequences one must and will face when entering this field. We miss out that billions of dollars of taxpayers money is for nought and how it has ruined lives that can not be fixed, and the many sentences one must face remains absent at times. Granted his storytelling is witty, cynical and vibrant, however, by Cooke taking this subject rather lightly he loses his grasp as his audience can't understand what his intentions are and in the end, he leaves them empty.

Luke Reeves OK this film is good and well worth watching. The final message after you go through all the video game theatricals is powerful and should come as quite a surprise. However...Although I feel the film is being aimed at young people, instead of influential adults. Young people cannot change anything for 20-50 years, and that's only for a lucky few.When in reality we really need the laws/state of the war on drugs, to change within the next 5-10 years! So the documentary could have been a bit less obvious and more informative. "Lesson 1" "Mission complete" all these aspects were total b.s. and totally not needed.This will just be like "Band Aid" was to Africa (a total waste of time.) Putting high paid actors on it was totally not necessary either. More of the "real" people being affected would have been better in my opinion.Due to the style of this film a lot of important families/people will not even get/want to see it, preferring to avoid it in the extreme cases. Which to me, defeats the purpose of the film's end message/goal.So I gave it 6 out of 10 for the good performances by the characters and because of the knowledge it delivered. Yet even 6 seems too high, for the more I think and analyse its content the more of a farce the film seems and in actuality it's just another cash crop from the fields of unexperienced dummies.First watch I liked it though, after lots of thought second watch was avoided. Film became not liked.

art-samuels I am not a big documentary film watcher, but this movie is the exception to my rule. It was bold, exciting, entertaining and thought provoking. It's a subject matter that anyone can be intrigued by and I certainly was. First of all, the pace and tempo of the movie was incredible. Second, the talent is ridiculous to watch. Seeing actors that I don't think of as speaking out about the subject matter and doing it in such a candid way was fascinating to me. But besides these two things, hearing real accounts of people that went from street dealers to drug lords is sick to both watch and hear about. It's really different from a lot of the usual stuff I've seen on TV or in movies before. I would 100% recommend this film to anyone and I would even see it again.

jen-anil I really enjoyed How to Make Money Selling Drugs! Before I saw the movie I wasn't sure what to expect, but from start to finish I was totally enthralled. The story's undercurrent definitely delivered a powerful message, yet in an exciting way. I am a person that is easily bored and I never took my attention off of the screen. Also, the star-power and expertise of the people that were interviewed was extremely impressive and surprising to me. For such powerful players in Hollywood to discuss such a controversial topic is really amazing. I strongly suggest this movie!