Watched Buffallo '66 again last night and was thinking the same thing. Similar not just in the relationship aspect but the entire approach to the film. Although visually they're vastly different they share the same sense of storytelling, lighting, camera, etc. clearly influenced by the French New Wave. Although I doubt you'll ever hear Gallo ever discuss his appreciation of anything French.
shareFilms displaying flourishes inspired by French New Wave come dime a dozen - and I'm not sure they were incorporated here convincingly enough; a lot of the time they just seemed like Gallo showing off. As for the female lead, this kind of empty cipher worked in PDL because that was always very clearly intended as a romantic fantasy. Buffalo 66, on the other hand, is supposed to be some kind of gritty, stylized character study and Ricci's absurd character's an ill fit.
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