Izzynterview With My Sister Vicky

This interview of mine is going to be a little different, I actually decided to interview my baby sister Vicky. She's literally one of the coolest people I've ever met (she's gonna think I'm taking the piss but I'm really not) and definitely the funniest person I know. I hope you enjoy getting to know her a bit better...

She told me not to post a picture of her,

but couldn't resist this little throwback ;)

She's also made one or two guest appearances on my channel

1. It's safe to say you're talented in a lot of things. What is your favourite hobby?

Aw, what a compliment! Um, my favourite hobby is probably reading. As much as I love writing, I think that there's something so special about picking up a book somebody else wrote – whether that was one year ago or fifty – and reading it and being taken to a different world like that. I like to go back and reread my favourite books a few times a year because I never really get bored of them.

2. Since you're so big on writing, would you ever consider starting a blog of your own?

Absolutely! Its actually something I'm hoping to do once the new academic year kicks off again and I get into a routine. I'd love to do book reviews and talk about my own writing techniques, what does and doesn't work for me etc.

3. I think it's safe to say you never sit down for one minute, how do you manage your time effectively?

I like to bullet journal a lot, which is a technique I discovered when I was doing my A-Levels. I'm a big fan of making lists and breaking down big tasks into smaller ones, which means I can tick them off quicker. It also stops me from getting stressed out – the more tasks I complete, the more motivated I am. I also have a very short attention span so I tend to be productive in twenty-minute chunks. I work on something for twenty minutes, then have a three-minute break, and then go again. After every productive hour I take a longer break. This is something that really helps me and stops me from getting burnt out. 

4. No one likes animals more than you. What's one pet you're hoping to get in the future and what would you name them?

Obviously, one of my #LifeGoals is to be able to afford my own horse. But in terms of an actual 'pet' -pet at the moment I'm a bit obsessed with the idea of getting a golden retriever called Teddy. I love dogs and we've never had one before, so as much as I like the idea of adopting from a shelter, I'd love to get one from a puppy so I get that experience and be a bit more prepared for when I feel ready to adopt one. 

5. Apart from German and English (both me and my sister are bilingual) what language do you wish you could speak?

I've always loved the idea of being able to speak in Latin. I'm not sure if it's a language that's actually spoken anymore of just written, but I think it's so cool and interesting how it's the basis for so many other languages out there. So, basically I'm cheating a bit there. 

6. Name something you're working on at the minute

I'm working on building a family home for my expanding Sims family. It's very important to me. I really want to spoil them. And, apart from that, I'm also chipping away at a draft of a story I've been working on for a while now. 

7. Now that you've finished your first year at university too, what would you say your favourite university moment has been?

There's lots of things, but it's probably just something all together like the movie nights where me and Abi, my flatmate, would just do face masks and watch chick-flicks in my bed with lots of popcorn.

8. Your top 3 songs to jam to at the minute?

High Five by Sigrid is a banger. I've also spent a lot of time recently listening to the Hamilton soundtrack, so I would say Non-Stop from there, too. And Easy to Love by the Jezebels will forever be a banger, and is probably one of my favourite songs ever.

9. I'm your big sister, I have to embarrass you in this interview. What is the cringiest thing you've done?

Oh please, please don't ask me this. I'm such a cringey person in general. I think the answer would have to be that I originally made my FaceBook account for my cat, as a loophole because my mum wouldn't let me make a FaceBook account for myself because I was too young. I was a bit jealous that everyone else seemed to have one and I was missing out (I really wasn't). So then everyone started to get friendship requests from 'Fidget Knight'; my first status was Just got castrated. Ouch! And it's still out there. 

10. What is one goal you're hoping to achieve in the next year?

Can I be basic and say that I want to grow my hair out? I'd also really like to improve my marks on my course from last year, and read 50 books. And join the gym! So – lots of goals.

So thank you very much Smelly (sorry had to embarrass you a bit Vicky) for taking part in this interview. I hope you enjoyed reading,

Izzy K xxx

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Review) *Spoilers*

ABBA's music brings people of all ages together, and I think we can all agree they have written the catchiest songs in all of history. For me, it was no surprise that the 2008 hit Mamma Mia (Phyllida Lloyd) was followed up with a sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Ol Parker) this Summer.

Following the death of her beloved mother Donna (Meryl Streep), Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is preparing to take on the challenge of running the hotel and fulfilling Donna's dream, as well as welcoming a child of her own to this earth.

The plot has two story lines that run parallel to each other, the first being about young Donna's (Lily James) adventures on the island and how she met the three potential fathers of Sophie in the first place. The second storyline is about Sophie becoming a mother and how she feels a connection to what her mother went through.

The film has an all singing, all dancing and all star cast with all the loved characters from the first film making an appearance again for the most part. But Sophie's Grandmother truly steals the show, since she is played by the one and only Cher. 

Personally, the actress that stood out the most to me was Jessica Keenan Wynn who played young Tanya. She played this role so believably that I truly forgot that it wasn't actually Christine Baranski playing her younger self. I mean you've got to be talented enough to be a Hollywood actress as it is, yet alone being able to act in the same style as another and pick up their mannerisms. 

Naturally the soundtrack really was the winning part of this film. Most of ABBA's well known hits were used in the first film, which did make me wonder what they'd use in the second. Here We Go Again introduced songs such as Fernando, When I Kissed The Teacher, and Waterloo (my personal favourite ABBA song if you were wondering) to the big screen. However, this didn't stop them successfully reusing the big hits. I mean, you can't make a Mamma Mia movie without the song... Mamma Mia can you?!

The overall vibe of this film seemed a bit different to the first. The first was a cheeky little musical, that you couldn't help but sing along to. However this film, presumably due to its $75 million budget, has bigger dance routines and is just overall a lot more theatrical and dramatic than the first. As a result, the dance numbers have a cheesy and staged feel to them, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if that's what the audience was after.

Now musicals are normally feel good films, right? However, that doesn't mean that this movie doesn't tug at your heart strings. The cinema was filled with mothers and daughters crying their eyes out at the special bond between Donna and Sophie. But to keep it lighthearted, the film also has funny and witty one liners scattered throughout it. The ending is overly cheesy, but would you expect anything less from this feel good franchise? 

And now for the actual story line which is where my main issue with the film lies. The ending especially, felt very forced and it didn't seem to flow with the rest of the story. It just seemed like they wanted to tie the film up in the happiest way possible, even if it didn't come across as realistic.

But the plot holes were the biggest downfall of this film. Every single person I have spoken to about this film has been able to tell me a different error they've found with the story line. E.g. In the first film, Donna is talking to Tanya and Rosie about someone "up there" (and points upwards) having it in for her because she seems to have bad luck, and they reply that it must be her mother. Surely this implies that Donna's mother is dead? Then HOW COME Donna's mother comes to visit Sophie in the second?! And the order in which she meets the three potential fathers is different to the first and the dates don't add up. It just makes me wonder if the person who wrote this film had even seen the first.

I have very mixed feelings about this film, since I loved it but feel as though I shouldn't have. Therefore, if I was judging it based purely on entertainment I'd have to give it a 10/10, since it let me escape from reality for a bit and I'll definitely be watching it again when I have a bad day. However, the film student within me is screaming to give this film a 6/10 based on it's inconsistencies and overall quality. 

Have you seen this movie yet? If so let me know what your thoughts were in the comments below,

Izzy K xxx