Check It. François Ozon's Potiche.

If you're not up for seeing The Lincoln Lawyer, Sucker Punch, or Battle: Los Angeles this weekend, Potiche (translation: trophy wife) may be more your speed.

Director François Ozon is perhaps best known for his 2003 film Swimming Pool. His latest release, an adaptation of the hit play with the same name, stars Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu in a 103-minute comedy set in 1977 bourgeois France. That red Adidas track suit is great, and there's a breakfast table (complete with French press, naturally) I wouldn't mind having a seat at. The costumes and set design are bound to be captivating throughout--not to mention the acting.

Potiche is playing at West L.A.'s Landmark Theatre.

Info and showtimes: landmarktheatres.com, (310) 281-8233

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: movieever.com

Advance Notice / Win It. Film Independent's Directors Close-Up.

We love good film here at the BEAT, so we're thrilled to announce our first reader giveaway: a pair of tickets to Film Independent's 2011 Directors Close-Up.

Panelists include directors Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right, Laurel Canyon), Matt Reeves ("Felicity", Let Me In), Nicole Holofcener (shown above directing the wonderful Catherine Keener in 2010's Please Give), and more.

Email us (at thebeatofyounglosangeles@gmail.com with Subject line "winner winner chicken dinner" by 9:00 a.m. PT Monday January 31) a few sentences about why you'd love to attend this series that includes such panels as "The Creative Team: Bringing the Vision to Life", "Writing and Directing", and "The Spirit of Independence: A Roundtable Discussion".

The series of five events runs February 2 through March 2 at West L.A.'s gorgeous Landmark theater.

Series passes are $180, and $150 for Film Independent members. Info: filmindependent.org, (310) 432-1222.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: thefilmstage.com

Do It. Pay what you want to see the Freakonomics movie.

No doubt about it -- it's expensive to see a movie these days. So when the chance to see a movie for whatever price you want -- in this case, from a penny to $100 -- it's surely worth taking. And if you get to take part in the movie's own research, even cooler, right?

It'd only be possible with one film: Freakonomics. A documentary film inspired by the popular book by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt, Freakonomics in comprised of a number of vignettes by filmmakers like Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and Seth Gordon (King of Kong), who all try and portray Freakonomics' economical/social theories. Given the popularity of the book and the writers, the portrayals on film are sure to be intriguing.

And you can see it all for a penny! Or whatever price you want. Because the film is giving audiences in major cities -- including L.A., of course -- that chance in exchange for finishing a survey. It's nine questions long, and basically just asks you demographical stuff and whether you will buy popcorn at the movie, so it's not exactly personal. Supposedly, it'll be used as part of Freakonomics research. So help out some social science and get to see a movie for your own price, simple as that.

The free screening will take place on Sept. 22 at your local Landmark Theatre. Here's the survey to get your ticket.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Andy Garcia at the Landmark.

After seeing him as the Don (The Godfather III) and more recently as a snarky casino boss (the Ocean's series), it's pretty endearing to see Andy Garcia in a role where all he wants is to be an actor. Starting today, you can see Garcia as a Bronx family man hiding his acting desires in the new indie film, City Island, which also stars Alan Arkin, Emily Mortimer and Juliana Margulies (who looks great as Garcia's fiery, stereotypical Italian-American wife).

And if you wait to catch the 7:25 p.m. showing of City Island tomorrow at the Landmark, you get the special treat of seeing Garcia in person. The actor will be on hand after the screening to discuss his new comedic/dramatic role, and sure to take some questions from the audience too.

The Landmark is located at 10850 W. Pico Blvd., West L.A.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Mother (Madeo).

In a bland, dreary field of tall grasses, an older Asian woman appears. She walks closer and closer, in slow, winding steps and then stops. She sways, side-to-side, eyes looking off into nothing in particular. She raises her arms, and they sway too. She's dancing.

And so begins Mother (Madeo), a South Korean drama-thriller that just opened in limited release last Friday. This opening shot is strange and unexpected, in that artsy film sort of way, but sets you right into the offbeat tone of the film (the next scene, not to spoil anything, sets you up for its suspense aspect). As you watch this lady, a simply unbeautiful older lady, begin to move in this uninhibited way, you also can't help but see the pain and loss in her eyes, and so you start to understand what sort of dark world she lives in.

It's a world where she, Hye-ja, is a lowly merchant who lives with and takes care of her adult son, Do-joon, who is mentally incapacitated. Although always bearing a sense of hope in her son, Hye-ja is constantly worried and often overbearing over Do-joon, and things only get worse when he gets accused of a mysterious murder. The film follows Hye-ja as she fights for Do-joon's innocence, searching for the rightful killer and doing only what a mother could for her son.

Despite being a dark suspense thriller, Mother is quite beautifully shot in the way it pays attention to detail and just how it makes you feel--there's a particular cell phone-lit scene that I thought was gorgeous in its tone and composition. The actress who plays Hye-ja is absolutely superb, and makes you realize the void in American film for realistic-looking actors. You'll stay with her character to the very end, feeling every ounce of pain and despair she feels. And it's painful, sure, to watch her story unfold, but one worth the thrill ride.

Mother is playing at the Landmark at 10850 Pico Blvd. in West L.A. or the Sunset Laemmle at 8000 W. Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood.

-- Chau Tu