3 Women (Robert Altman, 1977)
I wouldn't be surprised if this film had a direct influence on David Lynch in the making of Mulholland Drive. There are numerous similarities - the dream-like atmosphere (in fact, this was actually inspired by a dream Altman had), the naive girl moving to California for work who becomes attached to another female character, and the emergent identity shift/merge between the two characters. Lynch is more keen to rely on the tried-and-true "plot twist moment" method, but Altman lets his psychological drama unfold in a more subtle manner - suggesting something more surreal and asking to be interpreted, but never fully relying on it, as on the surface he is merely revealing more about his characters. Altman utilises improvisation to sell his characterization, and it works especially well on Shelley Duvall's performance. 9/10
Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012)
An emotionally devastating portrayal on how to deal with the suffering of a loved one, and how to come to terms with dying. It's hard to not get emotionally invested and bummed out as Haneke moves through the motions of hardships, humiliations, and the feelings of uselessness involved in being a crippled old person, but it's really mostly achieved through concept alone - I have to give Haneke credit for tackling this subject, but his execution of it at times crosses into cheap emotionalism, and his flat direction doesn't sell it all that well either. Regardless, it's hard to deny that it's a powerful and moving film. 8/10