After a limited release in the U.S. in December, “A Separation” finally opened at the Bethesda Row Cinema Jan. 19. The film, which is in Farsi with English subtitles, won the 2012 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation” tells the story of a modern Iranian couple, Nader (Peyman Moadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami), in the process of divorcing each other. Simin wants a divorce from her husband so she can leave Iran and create a better life for their daughter, Termeh. Termeh, though, seems closer to her father, who insists on remaining in Iran.

Nader blocks the divorce because he must take care of his father with Alzheimer’s. As a result, Simin leaves, leaving nobody to care for Nader’s father during the day. Nader hires Razieh, a woman off of the street, (Sareh Bayat) to look after his father, but he soon begins to distrust Razieh, which creates the conflict at the heart of the film.

As the tension between Nader and Razieh mounts, Moadi’s acting chops become more and more evident. While every actor in “A Separation” plays his role well, Moadi is on a whole different level — the gravitas he brings to his role makes Nader’s emotional struggle realistic. Moadi’s performance almost single-handedly carries the film.

The strength of “A Separation” is that it presents reasonable arguments in a family without vilifying any single character. In the conflict between Nader and his wife and the conflict between Nader and Razieh, both sides of the argument are understandable. Even when characters are apoplectic, they draw sympathy for the cause of their anger. In the end, each character seems to be a victim of his own situation, not of any other character.

Another interesting aspect of “A Separation” is its setting against the backdrop of modern Iran. On the surface, the setting appears indistinguishable from anywhere else in the world, except for the hijabs and Farsi writing. Nader lives in a nice apartment, complete with a contemporary kitchen, keyboard and foosball table, and he drives a Peugot. There are many subtleties, though, that emerge over the course of the film.

The setting also allows the filmmakers to explore the disparity between the social stature of men and women and the piety of the Iranian people. Characters frequently swear on the Quran, which ultimately plays a pivotal role in the plot twist at the end of the film. Despite the cultural differences between Iran and the United States, the characters and plot of “A Separation” are ultimately as relatable as if the film were set in Bethesda.

Coming off its recent Golden Globes victory, “A Separation” is certainly the favorite for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in February. It’s so terrific, though, that it deserves an honor no foreign film has ever attained: to say salam — Farsi for hello — to the Best Picture Oscar.