One hundred forty-four films from 40 countries, five world premieres and 40 U.S. premieres – it can all only mean one thing: the 38th annual Chicago International Film Festival.

It’s paradise for the local movie buff, and “Xanadu” for 20-something art-house hipsters from around the globe.

On Sunday, audiences lined up outside the Music Box Theatre to get a glimpse of the new film from Irish director Jim Sheridan. Sheridan is best known for his Oscar-nominated films “My Left Foot” and “In the Name of the Father.”

“In America” played to a half-empty theater on Sunday evening, but those who showed were treated to a delightful taste of melodrama. The semi-autobiographical film is more moving than cheesy, even at its most questionable moments.

-Johnny and Sarah are Irish immigrants coming to America with their children Ariel and Christy. The parents left one behind, their son Frankie, who died from a fall down the stairs but has yet to die in the heart of his father. Sheridan’s tale starts off struggling, but later regains its composure. What looks like a conventional melodrama takes an interesting turn with the introduction of the family’s introverted neighbor, Mateo.

We know Johnny is going to have to get over his son’s death, and we know Mateo is the key to accomplishing this, but still, we fall into the narrative. When the credits rolled at the end of the film, it was difficult to find a dry eye in the theater. Regardless as to whether the film’s structure was flawed, its personal touch (co-written by Sheridan, loosely based on his own experiences) brought many people to tears.

Monday night brought “The Singing Detective,” starring Robert Downey Jr. and Mel Gibson. Downey attended the event and was presented with the Career Achievement Award.

Downey arrived five minutes late, but the hundreds of fans awaiting his entrance didn’t seem to mind. Some had waited up to two hours to get a look at the actor. When he stepped onto the red carpet, screams could be heard from women in more than four languages (yes, I counted).

A crowd of more than 800 packed the auditorium, and television crews from all of Chicago swarmed the rear of the screening room. The Sun-Times’ Richard Roeper emceed the event. Roeper then introduced a montage of clips from Downey’s past work. Among the crowd favorites was “Restoration,” which displayed Downey with a glimpse of full frontal nudity, to which many passionate screams came flying from the crowd. Downey acknowledged his flattery at this outburst later in the evening.

Later, the nearly matching Roeper and Downey set up chairs on the stage for a quick Q&A that went nowhere fast. Downey was jumpy, slouched over in his chair and sporting a brown leather jacket with matching suede pants. Neither Roeper or Downey seemed prepared whatsoever for the event; Roeper’s questions and impressions of James Lipton seemed just as erratic as Downey’s responses.

After the conversation, which included Downey faking masturbation with his award, he fled the auditorium.

Oh, right, the movie. Like Downey’s appearance, it’s definitely strange. Downey plays Dan Dark, the real-life pulp-noir author. Dark is suffering from cirrhosis and horrid psychological trauma. Half the film is told in fantasy, with Dark living the characters of his novels and singing all sorts of ’50s classics, while the other half deals with Dr. Gibbons (Gibson) trying to help Dark overcome his emotional duress.

The film tries too hard for laughs at times, and most importantly, fails to differentiate between fantasy and reality. The performances are all there, as well as an intriguing, creative story. However, combined, the film just feels empty — something it shouldn’t with its complex leading character.

Overall, the weird appearance by Downey and the disappointing film made for a lackluster night, although the cheers of crowd members hinted otherwise. One comment by a festival official about giving Downey his award made the night: “I’m afraid of you. Well, not really, your father was even stranger.”