Bond Is Cool, But Can He Sing Opera?

The Lark Theater offers two productions awesome in scope this weekend: the film Cloud Atlas and a simulcast of the Met Opera's production of Thomas Ades' The Tempest.

Tom Hanks and other stars of Cloud Atlas have said in interviews that the film explores the consequences of individual lives throughout time and how souls can change through different incarnations. That's a pretty hefty exploration into the nature of humankind. Is the nature of man basically good? Or evil? Can we change?

Then there's The Tempest, with Ades at the helm of his own production. Ades drew inspiration from William Shakespeare's play, but his opera also stands apart. In Ades' staging, the character Prospero is more of a guide for the audience into the meaning and the importance of mercy.

Ades' opera can be overwhelming at times, but has been warmly accepted by audiences the world over since it was introduced in 2008. The Lark will show the simulcast on Saturday at 10 a.m. The fee is $30.

What is the measure of a man who has not mercy and compassion? Perhaps that is the question we should ask this weekend.

Or is it better to just go for the latest James Bond adventure, Skyfall?

Here's a look at what's showing in local movie theaters this weekend:

Lark Theater

Cloud Atlas: 4:20 p.m., 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday

The Tempest: 10 a.m. Saturday

Century Cinema Corte Madera

Skyfall: 12:30 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 7:10 p.m., 10:20 p.m.

Century Larkspur Landing*

Flight: (12:30 p.m., 3:45 p.m.), 7:15 p.m., 10:25 p.m.

The Man With The Iron Fists: (12 p.m., 2:35 p.m.), 5:15 p.m., 7:45 p.m.; 10:10 p.m.

Wreck-It Ralph: (11:45 a.m.), 5 p.m., 10:15 p.m.

Wreck-It Ralph 3D: (2:20 p.m.), 7:35 p.m.

Argo: (1 p.m., 4 p.m.), 7 p.m., 10 p.m.

* No matinee shows on Friday

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