Yeah, but Dana doesn't know your likes and dislikes; she only knows hers. The critic is responsible for his/her own opinion, not ours. Though the basic requirement would be that they have to be broad minded and like the popcorn movies as much as the arthouse films, and like all genres and generally be catholic in their tastes. Other than that, they are not omniscient shamans who can divine the taste of each and every moviegoer and write a review that will allign perfectly with Bob's and Ted's and Alice's. If your sensibility doesn't match a particular critic's, stop reading them.

And a good critic is, IMHO, is in the writing, analysis and insight. Just being an opinion on what to see a film on Friday night is the least part of the job of a good critic.

But regarding indie cinema, the ones I've seen this year were not smugly satisfied with themselves and did have original voices and stories: see I've Loved You a Long Time, Frozen River or The Edge of Heaven.