Zac Efron is cute, but we’re way over the wholesome high school musical.

Starring N.D.G. It-boy Jay Baruchel, The Trotsky is a smart twist on a coming-of-age story.  Directed by Montrealer Jacob Tierney, it tells the tale of Leon Bronstein, a teenage misfit who decides he’s a reincarnation of the Russian revolutionary. When you’re not chuckling at all the homegrown references, you’ll be grooving to music by Malajube and K’Naan.

Plus, the school uniform styling is sweet revenge for those of us who wore sad grey kilts and white oxfords in high school.

Opens Friday, May 14 at the AMC Forum 22, 2313 Ste-Catherine St. W., Montreal, 514-904-1250, www.amcentertainment.com/Forum22

Denis Gagnon has been called l’enfant terrible of Canadian fashion.

But behind the edgy designs and thick-framed glasses lies a true artist with a true passion for his work. Marking the tenth anniversary of his career, Je m’apelle Denis Gagnon follows the designer as he finishes his latest collection. The film sheds light on the less glamorous side of fashion (working out of a cave-like basement) and follows him home to meet his family in small-town Alma, Quebec.

Darling Denis, we love you even more.

Tickets from $10.63, 6:30 p.m., March 21, Maxwell Cummings Auditorium, Montreal Museum of Fine Art, 1379 Sherbrooke Street W., Montreal, www.artfifa.com and March 27, Cinquième Salle, Place des Arts, 175 Ste-Catherine Street W., Montreal, 514-842-2112.

Meg and Jack ooze cool, so when they toured our every province and territory, we felt hip by association.

Shot on 16mm in the summer of 2007, White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights follows the non-siblings from coast to coast on a series of planned and impromptu concerts. They jam with elders in Iqaluit, sing with commuters on a Winnipeg city bus and perform at a bowling alley in Saskatoon.

We’re red, white and cool.

Tickets from $8, 9 p.m. on March 11 at Cinéma du Parc, 3575 Parc Avenue, Montreal, 514-281-1900, www.cinemaduparc.com
Limited Edition Box Set ($259.99) available March 16 at www.whitestripes.com

Before the hipsters and trendy cafes took over, the heart and soul of Mile End was its alleyways.

Based on the 1920s childhood of writer Ted Allan, the film Lies My Father Told Me takes us wistfully back to the days when milk was delivered by horse-and-cart and retail therapy meant schmattes and tchotchkes. Winner of a 1976 Golden Globe, the film tells the bittersweet story of a little boy and his grandfather peddling junk in the neighbourhood’s back alleys.  ust released on DVD, a newly restored version is being screened at the Segal Centre’s CinemaSpace followed by a post-film discussion with co-producer Harry Gulkin.

Now maybe we can convince the boys at Café Olympico to bring us our lattes on horseback?

DVD, US $29.95 at Ergomedia.com
Tickets from $6; 7 p.m. January 26-27, at CinemaSpace, Segal Centre, 5170 Cote St. Catherine W., Montreal, 514-739-7944, www.segalcentre.org

Sometimes reel life is stranger than fiction. Herewith, our top doc picks.

American Teen
Like The Breakfast Club brought to life, the film follows five teens in their final year of high school. All the usual suspects—jock, nerd, princess, rebel and heartthrob—are present to reminisce about in this spirited Sundance winner. www.americanteenthemovie.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Back in the '80s, the Canadian heavy metal band Anvil was set for stardom but came up short. They never gave up on the dream though, and this funny and heartfelt movie picks up where their fame left off. www.anvilthemovie.com
Joy Pecknold,Vancouver editor

Enlighten Up!
A story of one man’s skeptical and hilarious journey to find the true meaning of yoga. The film includes interviews with renowned gurus and stunning shots of Northern India. http://enlightenupthefilm.com/
Malwina Gudowska, Calgary editor

Paper Heart
Part documentary, part scripted film (which part is up to you to figure out), this road trip film chronicles the quirky Charlyne Yi’s quest to discover if true love really exists (Yi herself is skeptical). Along the way she begins a relationship with aw-shucks Canadian actor Michael Cera, but The Notebook this ain't. www.paperheart-movie.com
Maria Tallarico, managing editor

Surfwise
Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter produced this profile of America’s “First Family of Surfing,” the Paskowitzs: 8 brothers and a sister who grew up in a 28-foot camper with their sex-obsessed parents, teaching surfing and never going to school. A fascinating study in bohemianism, megalomania, and crazy family dynamics (makes the Royal Tenenbaums look like the Cunninghams).
www.surfwisefilm.com
Sarah Bancroft, editor-in-chief

The Cove
On the Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature, this story of a group of filmmakers who employ rogue methods to bring to light a covert dolphin hunt on the shores of Taiji, Japan unfolds like a suspenseful thriller. www.thecovemovie.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Tyson
A heartening look at the life and career of one-time champ Mike Tyson, from his formative relationship with his boxing mentor to his self-destructive and decadent tendencies. Tyson's insight and angst is disarming. www.sonyclassics.com/tyson
Maria Tallarico, managing editor

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
With the infamous director back in the headlines for a crime he was charged with decades ago and consequently fled the country from, this Emmy-winning doc is a provoking view into the past. A follow-up film is in the works. www.romanpolanskiwantedanddesired.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

It was only a matter of time.

The 1939 Hollywood epic Gone with the Wind has gone High Def and is making its splendidly re-mastered debut in Montreal. Set in the south during the Civil War, we adore the corseted ball gowns and sexy sparring between Clark Gable’s randy Rhett and Vivien Leigh’s sassy Scarlett.

Is this 19th century version of He’s Just Not That Into You a teeny bit sexist? Maybe, but quite frankly, we don’t give a damn.

Gone with the Wind in HD, Saturday November 14, 11 a.m., Scotiabank Theatre Montreal, 977 Ste-Catherine St. W., Montreal, tickets from $7.95, www.cineplex.com/events

Watching Diane Kruger stretch her acting chops (and rock those red lips) in Inglourious Basterds had us pining for all things deutsch.

We’re heading to Berlin, cinematically-speaking, for the Goethe-Institut series commemorating the 1989 reunification of Germany. Twenty Years After the Fall presents films about life before and after the wall came down, including the Oscar-winning The Lives of Others (7 p.m., September 24-25), and Lights From Afar, a powerful documentary about disenchanted teens growing up in late 1980s East Berlin (7 p.m., November 13).

Wunderbar!

1989 / 2009: Twenty Years after the Fall, tickets $7, September 17 to December 11, Goethe-Institut, 418 Sherbrooke St. E., Montreal, 514-499-0159, www.goethe.ca/montreal

Beware: Do not show up to see Julie & Julia on an empty stomach or you may run out in search of beef bourguignon before the second act.

Nora Ephron’s feel-good film seamlessly jumps between two stories: Julia Child learning to cook in randy post-war Paris, and Julie Powell, a hapless pencil pusher who decides to cook all 524 recipes from Child’s iconic book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Meryl Streep’s turn as the late chef is perfect enough to make us forget the unfortunate Mamma Mia, but the real star is French food, prepared and eaten with gusto. Watching Ms. Child fry butter with great erotic fervor made us commit grave diet crimes on our way home from the theatre. 

Guilty as charged, and bon appetit!

Julie & Julia, opens today at the Scotiabank cinema, 977 Ste-Catherine St. W., Montreal, 514-842-5828, www.julieandjulia.com

Are product designers the new rock stars?

You may decide so after seeing Gary Hustwit’s latest doc, Objectified, which looks at how everyday objects from toothbrushes to door handles have become contemporary objets d’arts. This fascinating film gets into the creative minds of designers like Marc Newson, maker of the million dollar Lockheed Lounge (pictured), and Karim Rashid, the brainchild behind the Garbo plastic garbage pail.

Finally, some insight into our obsession with Ikea water glasses.

Objectified, tickets $10; until July 16 at Cinema du Parc, 3575 Parc Ave., Montreal, 514-281-1900, www.cinemaduparc.com

We’re skipping out on summer reruns for some charming summer flicks as chosen by the Vitamin Daily team. Lights, camera, action!

Adventureland
It’s the summer of 1987 and instead of taking off to Europe post-grad, comparative literature major James is forced to take a job at the local amusement park. Consider it this year’s Juno—smart, funny and utterly endearing. In theatres now, www.adventurelandthefilm.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Grey Gardens
Based on the classic documentary of the same name, Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore play the delusional mother-daughter duo (Big Edie and Little Edie, respectively) who retreat from high society into their own eccentric and decaying world. Catch it on HBO Canada, 8 p.m. on April 18, www.hbocanada.com
Maria Tallarico, managing editor

State of Play
Conspiracy, free speech, mistresses and politics: the perfect recipe for a crime thriller. My girl crush Rachel McAdams is reason enough to watch this drama. Opens April 17, www.stateofplaymovie.net
Malwina Gudowska, Calgary editor

Sunshine Cleaning
Its kooky charm won over most critics, and it did the same for me. Starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt as sisters who start a crime-scene cleaning business, this film is a delight. In theatres now, www.sunshinecleaning-themovie.com
Athena Tsavliris, Toronto editor

Two Lovers
Before he became known for his bearded antics, Joaquin Phoenix was Hollywood’s go-to brooding boy. In this classic romantic tale he plays a troubled man torn between passion and comfort when he becomes involved with both his icy and beautiful neighbour (the perfectly cast Gwyneth Paltrow) and reliable family friend Michelle (played by break-out star Vinessa Shaw). Opened this weekend, www.twoloversmovie.com
Sarah Bancroft, editor-in-chief