 Critics were hostile in their assessment of Romeo and Juliet . Brooks Atkinson for The New York Times wrote : " Although Miss Leigh and Mr. Olivier are handsome young people , they hardly act their parts at all . " While most of the blame was attributed to Olivier 's acting and direction , Leigh was also criticised , with Bernard Grebanier commenting on the " thin , shopgirl quality of Miss Leigh 's voice " . The couple had invested almost all of their combined savings of $ 40 @,@ 000 in the project , and the failure was a financial disaster for them . 
