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An image from "How to Make Money Selling Drugs"

The U.S. war on drugs is a tiresome subject. Most reasonable people agree it is a failure, but nothing is done to change it so it simply stagnates. Director Matthew Cooke (who produced the documentaries Deliver Us From Evil and Teenage Paparazzo) hopes to help people see it with fresh eyes in this provocatively titled documentary. Framed as a video game, it takes viewers from the life of a street dealer all the way to kingpin and beyond. There are some fascinating characters, including "Freeway" Rick Ross, who claims to have once sold $2-million worth of drugs in a day. But much of the movie fails to provide new information. We all know drug dealers can make a lot of money and/or get arrested. However, when Cooke turns his attention to the people whose lives have been destroyed by the war on drugs, the film becomes compelling.

Sunday, Sept. 16, Scotiabank 1, 9:30 p.m.

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