DOLMEN on DVD for Fans Looking for Mystery!

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

On DVD from MHz International Mystery comes an island thriller that is intense and myths with DOLMEN.

This is the story of Marie (Ingrid Chauvin), a happy young woman who is returning home to the island of Ty Kern to marry Christian Brehat (Xavier Deluc). She is not home 24-hours before mystery and murder welcome her home. Her veil is ruined by a bird in her room and after a bachelor’s night, brother Gildas is found dead.

What is even more bizarre is that the island stones of menhirs begin to bleed! Arriving on the island is Lucas Fersen (Bruno Madinier), an investigator determined to uncover who is responsible and put down the myth.

The island has a story of the Shipwreckers that once there was a group of people on the island starving and suffering. To survive they would cause shipwrecks, taking the bounty and even killing survivors.

As Marie and Lucas follow the clue left with Gildas, more of her relatives are ending up dead. With each death another menhirs stone bleeds. Living in the lighthouse next to the stone is Patrick Ryan (Yves Renier), a writer who knows much more about the legends of Ty Kern and shares it with Marie.

There is also a quiet family feud between patriarch Arthus de Kersaint (Georges Wilson), his son Pierre-Marie (Hippolyte Girardot) and the Le Bihan family led by Yvonne (Nicole Croisille) with daughter Gwen (Micky Sebastian). But Marie’s family isn’t without its own secrets as her mother Jeanne (Martine Sarcey) constantly fights her at every turn.

Lucas takes each clue one step at a time with help of Morineau (Richaud Valls) looking to uncover each secret that comes their way. This is a case that could destroy a village and change the lives of everyone who lives there – including Marie.

FINAL WORD: Chauvin as Marie is absolutely beautiful. It is easy to see why two men would be pining for her affections. This role is smartly done filled with intrigue and, it has to be said, this gal has so much going on with family that I’ll give her props for staying in cop mode! Each episode gives Chauvin a challenge and she takes it head on but gets bogged down at times with Ty Kern’s history.

Madinier as Lucas is handsome and sharp – you think gals aren’t going to notice that? As Marie handles each clue with emotion, Lucas handles it with fact and a no-nonsense approach regarding the islands myths and legends. Falling for Marie is inevitable and Madinier makes it look good. The danger and intrigue are believable and that will keep viewers watching!

Renier as Ryan is the writer in solitude at Ty Kern’s lighthouse. Wilson as Arthus is the stereotypical rich-man-of-the-island trying to control what everyone says and does. Well done. Girardot as PM is arrogant and at the same time a kid that needs to be monitored. DeLuc as Christian is a competitive boat racer who has a mystery of his own.

Croisille as Yvonne scared the living daylights out of me! Her secrets are intense and she plays this role magnificently! Sebastian as Gwen is another character that is seriously intense. Playing Yvonne’s daughter it is fantastic to see the apple not falling far from the tree. Sarcey as Jeanne is a woman who is trying to protect her family and plays this role extremely well. It is clear she has secrets but not only from Marie!

One of the winners here as well is Valls as Morineau and ‘wow’ is not a big enough word. The cop Marie and Lucas rely on to get the information they need is always there.

Other cast include: Thomas de Sambi as Ronan Le Bihan, Herve Caullery as Franck, Manuel Gelin as Loic Kermeur, Manuel Gelin as Loic Kermeur, Laure Killing as Armelle de Kersaint, Emile de Preissac as Juliette de Kersaint.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give DOLMEN three and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. This was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon watching a mystery unwrap. That’s the big part of DOLMEN though, just when I thought I had it figured out – I didn’t.

The cast brought there characters out in full force. The cinematography of the island is pretty spectacular as well. It’s just a magnificent settling to tell this kind of tale with majestic cliffs, ruins, a lighthouse and a quaint village (yes, I said quaint!) with fishing boats added in for a dash of cool.

MHz International Mystery and MHz Networks is a global media company that specializes in presenting top-quality international television programming to American audiences. Other series include THE BRIDGE, JOHAN FALK, THE EAGLE and UNIT ONE. For more of what MHz has to offer go to www.mhznetworks.org.

In the end – they will reveal Ty Kern’s darkest secrets.