How to deal with note: Less is more?

Hi there, I think I've become really good at most aspects of screenwriting/storytelling, but there is just one thing that still seems to elude my grasp, which is reflected in the following "weaknesses" I got from a recent BL eval:

"Less is more. The story could be told much more succinctly without sacrificing its emotional gravity. There could be increased momentum within the first half, as the pacing unravels, and it could be more kinetic. Distillation could happen at the macro level (scenes and sequences) and the micro level (dialogue and details), which could be entered later, exited earlier and generally tightened up. One example of this is the sequence on pages 31-43, which feels too protracted. If distillation causes the page count to contract significantly, then it will tighten up the screenplay. The script micromanages actors and characters, which also slows down the pacing. "Character X" takes a very long time to enter the story and she could be introduced, set up and contextualized much earlier. Similarly, "Character Y" might need to be pulled forward in the page count, with more conflict. Also, there is a lot of character development that happens through exposition. Actions speak louder than words. This is more about distillation, which can be an ally to evolving the pacing. A thorough dialogue polish could develop exposition further, as sometimes it feels loquacious, cliché, melodramatic, and on the nose."

The last part about dialogue actually conflicts with another BL eval I got, stating "proficiency and mastery of dialogue", and then Nicholl feedback saying my use of subtext and my dialogue is great, but since I'm all about growth I want to still address this note.

How do you guys approach the Less is More thing? I still haven't really been given any concrete examples of how to enter a scene late and exit early. I always feel it would be incomplete if you do that and that my transition would suck. I think smooth transitions are something I worry a lot about. Could it be one of the things holding me back?

I really want to get better at this, as I'm hoping to make a contest finals appearance this year, and someone once said to me: "Scripts that win contests are tight as a drum."

Thank you so much for all of your time!