"Oslo" (2012 release; 118 min.) brings a (fictionalized) account of the secret negotiations that were instigated by a Norwegian diplomat between Israel and the PLO. As the movie opens, we get to know Mona, as she is making her way to work. Mona is a Norwegian diplomat meeting in London with the Palestine Minister of Finance, to convince him to take a leap of faith and open a "back channel" for secret negotiations with Israel. Mona's husband meanwhile is convincing the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister to do the same. In January of 1993, the parties arrive in Oslo... At this point we are 10 min. Into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the big screen adaptation of the Tony Award-winning stage play of the same name. The movie is directed by Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher, now venturing out into the movies. When reviewing a movie like this, it is not easy but nevertheless necessary to separate the merits of the movie from the merits of the subject matter of the movie. As to the movie itself, I was surprised how engaged I found myself with the movie. I have not seen the underlying theater play, but the sequencing and pacing of the movie is simply outstanding. The cast was mostly unknown to me, but the talent in the two leads (British actress Ruth Wilson and actor Andrew Scott) is undeniable. As to the subject matter of the movie (the Oslo Accords),with each passing year, one appreciates all the more the significant risks that were taken by the negotiators, and that real progress was made, only to see it all fall apart after the Oslo Accords were signed (in September, 1993). And look where the Israelis and Palestinians are now almost 30 years later. Nothing has been solved, and things are a LOT worse now than in the early 90s. Frankly, it's anyone's guess whether the Israeli-Palestine conflict can ever be solved at this point. And so the killings go on. There are several scenes in the movie that were hopeful, when the opposing negotiators saw each others as HUMANS, not just as Israeli or Palestine. It filled my eyes with tears, knowing that these historical moments went for naught in the end. (For another take on this, make sure to check out the 2017 documentary "The Oslo Diaries", equally worth seeking out.)

"Oslo" premiered on HBO a few days ago, and is now available on HBO On Demand (where I saw it tonight),HBO Max, and Amazon Instant Video. If you have any interest in geopolitical important moments in time (which the Oslo Accords certainly were),I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

1 out of 5 stars.

Boring story. Long. And uninteresting.

This is the unlikely story of the back channel negotiations that took place to broker the historic Oslo Peace Accords. A private think tank came up with the idea and a Norwegian couple who worked for the Norwegian Foreign Ministry hosted the meetings when Palestinians and Jews met for the first time. The Accords were made possible by a large helping of Johnny Walker Black.

Ruth Wilson gave us a passionate and convincing performance. As a news and history buff I tend to enjoy this type of film more than most people.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.