I agree with all of your formulaic critiques. But he wasn't saying he was better than the critics. He was saying he needed to get back to doing what he loves. That's why the critic isn't even the bad guy in the end (because this film has zero true antagonists) and he goes to work with him. THe heavy handed subtext wasn't "fuck these people judging COWBOYS AND ALIENS" (which was his defense of the lava cake). It was "yeah, you can run a restaurant, but this small shit is what really makes you happy."