Hoover Street Revival

Since the film is so keen to not impose itself upon its subject, simply showing the neighbourhood of the South Central church and its people without structure or narration, much goes unexplained. Some viewers found it hard to see beneath the surface because of this reticence, so it's here that the commentary really proves worthwhile, as director Fiennes adds much more depth by telling us who these people are, what their stories are and how she made the film.

She does most of the talking, with Roxy Music's Brian Eno asking earnest questions and Katie Kitamura specialising in blindingly obvious comments at long intervals (Eno's qualification is his long-standing interest in gospel music; Kitamura seems to be the author of several books on Japanese tattoos, so it's not clear why she's involved). Their terribly proper English accents are an unintentionally funny contrast to the people in the film and sometimes their opinions seem like a sociological study, as the three muse tentatively about these experiences so far from their own. The commentary track is both interesting and pretentious, intellectually stimulating, but often veering into Pseud's Corner. However, Fiennes' deep respect for the people she filmed is notable.

Two short featurettes are also included, made up of extra footage: Three Women has more of the interviews with the three most interesting women in the film, while That Gospel Sound interviews the choir directors about the role of music in the church. The latter features a beautiful solo by an unnamed choir member at a rehabilitation centre.

The Q&A session, filmed after a screening at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, suffers from hollow and badly recorded sound, while the image is static and interrupted by camera flashes from the audience. The event does show Bishop Noel speaking for himself about the themes of the film, which Fiennes chose not to have him do in the documentary itself.