C++: references and smart pointers - is there such a thing as a smart reference?

Initially references have been introduced to C++ to hide the ugly pointer syntax much like many modern program languages do.

Now, with smart pointers it looks to me like we have to (again) explicitly use ptr->element or *ptr.element instead of just reference.element.

Is this the price we have to pay for having explicit control over ownership, i.e. being able to either keep it or move it on?

Or do I miss something...?