Rush tipped for Oscar, Kidman not rated

America's top film critic is tipping Geoffrey Rush to win the best supporting actor Oscar.

Roger Ebert believes Rush will be swept up in the Oscar tsunami his film, The King's Speech, is expected to create at Monday's (AEDT) 83rd Annual Academy Awards.

The King's Speech heads into the Oscar ceremony with 12 nominations - more than any other film.

The Fighter's Christian Bale is the bookmakers' favourite for the supporting actor Oscar, however Ebert believes Rush has the edge because The King's Speech's haul will include best picture, best actor for Colin Firth, director Tom Hooper, original screenplay and original score.

"Geoffrey Rush because it could be a King's Speech year," Ebert predicted.

"Christian Bale seems to have a good chance, but when a movie gets anointed, its aura shines on its other nominees, as if voters are thinking, 'well, if I voted for The King's Speech, doesn't that mean I keep voting for it?"'

Ebert doesn't rate Australia's other acting nominees, Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole) and Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom), as having much of a chance, but he believes Australia's Kirk Baxter and US colleague Angus Wall will win the editing Oscar for The Social Network.

"The Social Network was all but brought to life through the skills of Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter, who took a complex group of interlocking plots, events and times, assembled them at breakneck speed and made the sucker play," Ebert wrote.

The Academy Awards begin at noon on Monday (2pm NZT).

- AAP