I was neutral going into the film, before hearing anything negative about it. I’ve been a professional journalist and creative writer for years now, worked for a major news coporation (Scripps), and even worked for various other papers and my own college professors.
I absolutely loved TLJ, and based on a decade of my own experience and training, I thought the cinematography, direction, and script were all top-notch. The use of literary devices such as symbolism, metaphor, allusion, and foreshadowing were also all there, and used incredibly affectively.
However, those who don’t really like literature, or are looking for more overt plots (i.e. a popcorn blockbuster), likely wouldn’t pick up on these storytelling devices, because they’re much more subtle in the film. You really have to watch the film more than once, or even several times, to pick up on all of them.