Nina (the distinguished German actress Barbara Sukowa) and Madeleine (Martine Chevalier) have waited decades to love one another freely. At the beginning of “Two of Us,” the retired women — their romance long hidden under the guise of friendship — prepare to leave France for new beginnings in Rome. Timid, dutiful Madeleine, a widowed mother whose nickname is “Mado,” must first come out to her children before realizing her dream, but tragedy strikes before she can speak her truth. A stroke leaves Mado speechless and paralyzed, throwing the couple even deeper into the closet during already devastating times.

Filippo Meneghetti’s pulsing romantic drama forges heartache and intrigue out of Nina’s tireless efforts to connect with her impaired lover. Played with palpable desperation and ferocity by Sukowa (“Hannah Arendt,” “Lola”), Nina is relegated to the status of friendly neighbor by Mado’s unsuspecting children. Yet she craftily maneuvers her way into Mado’s life with a tenacity that never overshadows her pain.

The film’s us-against-them dynamic inflates the injustice of the situation, injecting rage and pathos into this tale of thwarted love at the cost of its supporting players: a frumpy caregiver with North African roots makes for a cheap punching bag, and Mado’s thinly-drawn children — clinging to the fantasy of their parents’ true love — prove disproportionately villainous.

Despite these contrivances, and a climax that veers into maudlin territory, Meneghetti and the cinematographer Aurélien Marra beautifully summon the ache of queer desire. Through the use of symbolic peepholes, eavesdropping and dark rooms that provide cover for whispered assurances of devotion, “Two of Us” succeeds as a stealthy depiction of lesbian erotics, one that mirrors the inhibitions of a generation.

Two of Us
Not rated. In French, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes. In theater and on virtual cinemas. Please consult the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before watching movies inside theaters.