A crisis or a natural turn?

So I showed the edit this past week, over two nights.
One to Joe, who acted as our very capable 1st AD, and works as an editor and a filmmaker as well.
The other, two friends, Oliver and Julia.
A lot of comments, good feedback. Oliver and Julia especially were able to find their own meaning in the film, which at the end, is the kind of reaction I wanted.
But overall what I found difficult is that no can agree on what is good, what is bad, where it works and where it doesn't, and so the way forward. I know the edit needs work, I know that are some problems I won't be able to solve, but I thought at least I would be able to see some way forward. But I don't.
The fundamental problem? It is still too confusing. I have always intended it to be an open text, but it is still too open. I need to be clearer but I am not at all certain how to go about this.
So one can conclude either that there is no hope, which is something no one want to contemplate, or that I require an editor with greater skills than mine, and better skills than the average. This needs to be someone special.
I should explain. I have made some changes, and for the most part these changes have been successful, but now I believe that we need to make a lot more progress, a leap.
Next steps? I have some notes from the edit, some obvious problems, a way of making incremental improvements and I will make these and show them in two weeks time. And then I will begin the search.