▁into ▁something ▁at ▁once ▁un ass uming ▁and ▁in ▁its ▁own ▁way ▁grand ." ▁ ▁Roger ▁E bert ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Sun - Times ▁observed , ▁" In ▁America ▁is ▁not ▁uns ent iment al ▁about ▁its ▁new ▁arrival s ▁( the ▁movie ▁has ▁a ▁warm ▁heart ▁and ▁fran k ly ▁wants ▁to ▁move ▁us ), ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁per cept ive ▁about ▁the ▁count less ▁ways ▁in ▁which ▁it ▁is ▁hard ▁to ▁be ▁poor ▁and ▁a ▁stranger ▁in ▁a ▁new ▁land ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle , ▁Walter ▁Add iego ▁stated , ▁" I ▁fought ▁hard ▁against ▁the ▁emot ional ism ▁of ▁In ▁America ▁. ▁. ▁. ▁but ▁I ▁lost . ▁There ' s ▁no ▁question ing ▁the ▁director ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁wr ing ▁moving ▁moments ▁from ▁potentially ▁sentiment al ▁and ▁decided ly ▁familiar ▁material : ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁p enn il ess ▁imm igr ants ▁trying ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁in ▁Manh attan . ▁It ▁got ▁to ▁me . ▁I ' m ▁still ▁trying ▁to ▁decide ▁whether ▁I ▁was ▁won ▁over ▁or ▁worn ▁down   — ▁but ▁why ▁not ▁give ▁Sher idan ▁the ▁benefit ▁of ▁the ▁doubt ? ▁. ▁. ▁. ▁[ He ] ▁is ▁clearly ▁drawing ▁on ▁deep ▁personal ▁res erves ▁for ▁this ▁picture , ▁and ▁despite ▁a ▁few ▁sequences ▁when ▁the ▁cre ative ▁hand ▁seems ▁intr us ive , ▁does ▁well ▁by ▁his ▁subject . ▁When ▁you ▁see ▁a ▁director ▁going ▁for ▁that ▁l ump - in - the - th ro at ▁m ood ,