Once he submits, though, he becomes obsessive such that she’s the one that begins to back off.
As Nik, Raffaello Degruttola is intense but inscrutable. He looks more like someone you’d cast as a tough guy and not a romantic lead. His standard look is a glower. The audience may become as frustrated as Katerina that he won’t open up.
Well, he may have a lot on his mind: Degruttola also wrote as well as directed “Transference: A Love Story,” and there’s no doubt the film is well put together with artful shots to accompany the subtle storytelling (though there might be one too many confessional indie rock needle drops).
There’s a nice support cast that includes Pernile Broch as her roommate (and fellow Nord), Lotte Verbeek as his ex and Ania Swinski as a too-hopeful patient.
As engaging as it is to watch, it’s sometimes difficult to hear the dialog that’s made more important by the fact that at least one half of the couple is largely incommunicado. Even the big scenes are in whispers (or oddly turned away from the microphones).
But it’s largely a sweet, subtle romantic story with an underpinning of a certain truth.
“Transference: A Love Story” is available on demand through services that include Apple TV, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video and Fandango.